Annapolis Man Convicted Of Dozens Of Thefts Across 5 Counties

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Annapolis man has been convicted for his role in a series of retail thefts targeting Lowe’s and Home Depot stores in at least five Maryland counties.

David Taylor Bernhardt Sr., 57, pleaded guilty to one count of theft scheme after prosecutors said he stole about $14,000 worth of products from stores in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Garrett and Allegany counties, according to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.

According to prosecutors, Bernhardt would commit the thefts during business hours by using various tactics. On some occasions, Bernhardt would obtain items and add them to his shopping cart. He would then move to the back of the store, an area frequently off camera, and conceal the items on his person.

On other occasions, Bernhardt would select items before heading to the self-checkout machines. He would then scan a substitute barcode that corresponded to a cheaper item than the one he had placed in his cart. The substitute barcode would be placed on top of the original item’s barcode or hidden in Bernhardt’s hand.

Prosecutors said Bernhardt would also scan cheaper items while intentionally not scanning the expensive items in his cart.

Bernhardt repeatedly targeted the same retail stores, prosecutors said, sometimes stealing from them multiple times on the same day. He stole personal-use home improvement items, including toolboxes, plumbing fittings, decorative plants, saw blades, air conditioners, circuit breakers, LED lights and more.

“When someone steals from a retail store, it doesn’t just hurt the business — they drive up prices for everyone, reduce access to everyday items and stretch law enforcement thin,” Brown said in a statement. “We pursued this case to hold the offender accountable, protect Maryland consumers and businesses and make clear that this kind of organized theft won’t be tolerated.”

The case was prosecuted in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.

Before his conviction, Bernhardt paid the full amount of restitution to the stores he targeted. Bernhardt was granted a probation before judgment and placed on five years of supervised probation.

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