3 Charged with Shoplifting from St. Louis Park Kohl's

Three people have been charged with shoplifting thousands of dollars’ worth of items from a St. Louis Park department store.

Latoya Desiree Rodgers, 23 and Brittany Shanta Graham, also known as Britany Shanta Wiliams, 22, both of Minneapolis, and Darcy Travis Lewis, 23, of Brooklyn Park, are charged with felony theft of property worth more than $500, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 bond.

A loss prevention officer at Kohl’s in the 8400 block of Highway 7 called police at about 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6 to report that three people had filled up bags with merchandise, then fled without paying for it, according to the criminal complaint, signed by St. Louis Park Police Detective Siar Nadem.

The loss prevention officer told police that Lewis—to whom he had been alerted by employees at other Kohl’s locations—walked into the store’s men and boys’ department, selected a number of items without looking at sizes or prices and stuffed them into a Kohl’s tote bag.

Lewis then walked to one of the store’s entrances, where he met four women, two of whom—later identified as Graham and Rodgers—also had full Kohl’s tote bags, the complaint says. The three then left the store without paying for the merchandise in their bags.

The loss prevention officer followed the group and saw them get into a blue minivan. St. Louis Park police arrived and stopped the minivan, where they found the bags of merchandise.

Graham admitted to police that she had gone to the St. Louis Park store to steal merchandise, and said she frequently shoplifts and sells items in order to “make a living,” according to the complaint. She told police that she had taken jeans, shirts and hoodies.

The loss prevention officer went through the contents of the tote bags and determined that Lewis stole items worth $1,044, Graham $623 and Rodgers $1,115.

Lewis’ criminal history includes a conviction for robbery in 2008. Rodgers was convicted of felony theft last February, and Graham has a felony theft conviction from 2008.

Rodgers, Graham and Lewis remain in the Hennepin County Jail on separate $5,000 bonds. Omnibus hearings are scheduled Nov. 15 for Graham and Nov. 20 for Rodgers and Lewis, all in Hennepin County District Court.