Shoplifting is a theft crime of either property or services, meaning that if a customer skips out on his bill at a restaurant, he has committed a theft that might also be considered shoplifting. Switching price tags on an item is a form of shoplifting, although most shoplifting crimes are committed by shoppers who conceal an item and attempt to exit the store without any intent to pay for it.
A number of celebrities have engaged in this crime, often trying to steal items of little consequence and for which they certainly have the means to purchase. Experts say crimes of this sort involve a calculated risk or excitement and a belief that you will not get caught. According to Michael Nuccitelli, an expert on shoplifting and addictions, it is also an expression of poor coping mechanisms.
Winona Ryder was arrested in 2001 and faced four felony counts based on a shopping spree at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills. She was convicted of grand theft and vandalism, but the judge reduced her felony convictions to misdemeanors and she served no jail time. She did have to undergo counseling and was placed on three years’ probation.
In 2002, former Olympic star Olga Korbut was caught attempting to steal $19 in groceries from a supermarket. She only had to pay a $300 fine. Later, her son was arrested in Korbut’s former home with more than $30,000 in counterfeit $100 bills.
Other famous shoplifting celebrities include Farah Fawcett, arrested twice in 1970. She claimed that she had wanted to exchange defective merchandise. Former tennis prodigy Jennifer Capriati was arrested in 1993 for stealing a ring. She was 17, and her short tennis career had fizzled by that time.
Actor Randy Quaid and his wife were charged with defrauding an innkeeper in 2010 when they allegedly used an invalid credit card to charge more than $10,000 in fees. Quaid and his wife served briefly in jail when they both missed multiple court appearances. The charges against Quaid were dropped, but his wife pleaded to a misdemeanor and was ordered to do community service and serve three years of probation.
