Carolyn Taylor, the 36-year-old mom who was busted on a shoplifting spree with her 11-year-old son last March, will not be going to jail. Yesterday the Fagin-mama was sentenced to five years of probation after she pleaded guilty to charges of grand larceny and endangering the welfare of her child. more ›

A woman is suing the NYPD after her humiliating, misguided arrest for shoplifting at a Queens Rite Aid. As 30-year-old Leah Fishman left the store a year ago, items in her purse that she had purchased weeks earlier for a total of around $20 set off the store's alarm. Fishman tells the Daily News that initially, "When the police came, I was relieved." But her suit alleges that the police did no investigation whatsoever, and mocked her as she was being detained. "Oh look, she has tears," a detective said, according to the lawsuit. "It won't help you; you're still going to jail." more ›

Five convicted shoplifters are learning what Lindsay Lohan already knows: getting caught stealing is a great way to attract fame. For the fourth consecutive Christmas, the Staten Island Mall is showing a digital ad featuring the mugshots of five convicted shoplifters, running on a loop on kiosks in the mall. The thieves aren't named, but on New Year's Day they'll be herded into stocks outside the mall, where shoppers will be encouraged to throw rotten eggs and moldy fruit at them. CORRECTION: That's not true. However, the thieves are featured in this video, which uses a soundtrack that will sound familiar to fans of the shoplifter porn genre. more ›

The holiday shopping season isn't all billion dollar weekends—it is also prime shoplifting season. So what do sticky-fingered filchers covet? According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention ("because shoplifting steals from all of us") the most coveted item year round is...choice cuts of "luxury meat." But the Center for Retail Research told us it was cheese! more ›

File under: Really? A new report from the Center for Retail Research claims that cheese is the world's most frequently stolen food, and as such, it has been labeled a "high risk food." Are terrorists loading up on cheese to destroy the planet? more ›

A shoplifting story that could have been just a throwaway crime blotter item was transformed into front-page tabloid gold thanks to a series of photos taken at the scene of a prolonged scuffle outside an AutoZone in the Bronx yesterday. It all started when an unidentified shoplifter set off the store's alarm system when he tried to walk out with an electric drill and an Allen wrench set, worth a total of about $80. Two employees gave chase, even after the thief turned to them with a syringe in his hand and vowed, "I'll give you AIDS with this syringe!" more ›

Every globe-trotting, British royals-kissing Manhattan socialite who is accused of stealing an $11,000 fur-lined scarf gets one hilarious defense—and fashion designer Beata Boman already used that up, when she claimed that she inadvertently put the scarf in her handbag because she was distressed after receiving a call from a friend "about to have brain surgery." But now, Boman is supplementing the brain surgery excuse with a Starbucks Defense: "We believe the Starbucks video will reveal an 'OMG' moment." If the lady had no drink, then she must have meant to return it. more ›

A globe-trotting Manhattan socialite and fashion designer has been arrested for allegedly shoplifting an $11,000 fur-lined scarf. Previously, Beata Boman, 38, had been best known for being pictured snogging Prince Andrew by the Daily Mail a few years ago. But with these new allegations, we can't imagine the former model will be getting any royal invites to Pippa's derriere exercise class anytime soon. more ›

Police chasing a Staten Island shoplifter were shocked when he jumped off the Goethals Bridge and seemed to survive the 200 foot fall. Cops tried to stop the suspect, Darin Hickman, in Milburn, New Jersey because they believed he stole a $2,500 Louis Vutton bag from the Short Hills Mall. But Hickman sped off in his Mitsubishi Diamante, leading police in hot pursuit to the New Jersey turnpike, where they decided to follow him, but with lights and sirens off. When Hickman got to the Goethals, he rammed into a Port Authority police vehicle and his car burst into flames. That's when he bolted toward the edge of the bridge. more ›

After they were captured on surveillance camera stealing from an Upper West Side pharmacy earlier this year, a mother and her 11-year-old son were arrested and both charged with grand larceny this week. But prosecutors have now dropped the charges against the 11-year-old, even as the mother ranted to photographers outside court yesterday: "Next time, I'm coming back here with a thousand Muslims and kick your ass!" said Carolyn Taylor. more ›

After being caught on suveillance video shoplifting from an Upper West Side pharmacy, a mother and her 11-year-old son have been arrested and both charged with grand larceny. Mom Carolyn Taylor and son Enrique Tate were caught on video stuffing items into a bag Always Love pharmacy on West 72nd Street in January, and Taylor was seen making purchases with a credit card stolen earlier that day from shopper Stuti Khanna at a nearby Gap store. Khanna told the Post, "She's not the best example of a mother and needs to go to a parenting class." That might be an understatement. more ›

Teenagers: what hubris! It's a rare kid that doesn't indulge in shoplifting once in a while, but even if the thought of getting arrested is far from their minds, most still understand that getting arrested is a possibility. But apparently, three teenage girls in Brooklyn didn't, like, get the memo about the totally annoying relationship between crime and punishment. more ›

Diplomatic immunity—it's not just for avoiding paying parking tickets! A man who works for the country of Georgia was arrested for shoplifting hundreds of dollars of items at Century 21, but didn't face prosecution because of immunity. The next obvious question: Does this mean all immunity-protected folks are going to opt for the five-finger discount?! more ›

Last month, Caroline Giuliani was sentenced to a day of community service as part of her sentence for shoplifting about $100 of products from an Upper East Side Sephora store. And according to the Daily News' sources, America's Mayor's daughter completed her duty on Wednesday. more ›

Now that a judge has sentenced Caroline Giuliani to a day of community service for shoplifting at an Upper East Side Sephora, what exactly is will America's Mayor's daughter be doing? The Post reports that while the Harvard student "has reportedly been estranged from her famous father for years, she'll now be following in his footsteps by working for the city. A knowledgeable source said she'll do her community service for the Sanitation Department, where she'll likely clean toilets and mop floors at the agency's garage on Pier 36." Pier 36 is where Naomi Campbell completed her community service stint three years ago. more ›

Caroline Giuliani, the 21-year-old daughter of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appeared in Criminal Court this morning to face shoplifting charges, but it was a quick visit, because she made a deal with the Manhattan DA's office. According to City Room, the Harvard student was "offered...an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning that if she serves a day of community service and stays out of trouble for six months, the case against her will be dismissed." more ›

Caroline Giuliani, the daughter of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and TV personality Donna Hanover, is expected in court today to face shoplifting charges. Earlier this month, the Harvard student was apparently caught in the act by store employees and security cameras and police found items like "Dior skin primer, Bliss moisturizer and a hairnet" in her pockets. It took a little while for Sephora to decide to press charges and now the Daily News reports that she may be working on a deal with the Manhattan DA's office. more ›

Post columnist Andrea Peyser can be relied upon for trenchant insights, like how Lindsay Lohan "needs a swift kick to the teeth" and that the Times Square pedestrian plazas are catastrophes. Now she sets sights on Rudy Giuliani's relationship with (allegedly) shoplifting daughter Caroline: "Caroline's primal scream is aimed at her dad. In photos on her MySpace page, she is seen at Harvard parties slugging from a champagne bottle or holding cocktail glasses that appear to contain beverages illegal for those under 21. Caroline is a girl crying out to be noticed. Or punished. Or loved. Rudy, do something. Your child needs you." more ›

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told reporters last week that his 20-year-old daughter's shoplifting arrest was a "private matter. And, it's going to stay that way." But the Daily News columnist Michael Daly questions Giuliani's bid to keep his family business quiet, pointing out how the tough-on-crime mayor released the juvenile record of an unarmed man killed by police in 2000: more ›

Well, look at that. A few days after Caroline Giuliani was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at a Sephora store on the Upper East Side—store employees and a surveillance camera seemingly caught her in the act—the cosmetic chain may pursue justice yet against the 20-year-old Harvard student. Initially, Sephora declined to press charges against "America's Mayor"'s daughter, but now a police source tells the Daily News, "They realize it was a mistake for a store to hedge the way they did." Yeah, think about all the other famous people (or children of famous people) who might start shoplifting at Sephora stores! more ›

There's loads of Caroline Giuliani-related news, but let's start with one of the more curious matters: Her transformation from grungy-looking (in a NYU t-shirt) alleged shoplifter in handcuffs to glowing Harvard sweatshirt clad co-ed, with flowing blond tresses, confidently walking out of the station house. According to the Post's sources, it was because of...the Post! "After a Post photographer snapped Rudy Giuliani's dowdy daughter in cuffs... she asked cops if she could put on a little makeup." more ›

Yesterday afternoon, the 20-year-old daughter of former mayor Rudy Giuliani was arrested for allegedly stealing five cosmetics items from a Sephora store at Lexington and East 86th Street. Caroline Giuliani, who was allegedly caught by store employees and surveillance cameras, was taken into custody at the 19th Precinct stationhouse. A Daily News source says, "She was caught red-handed. She knew it and didn't act out... She kept her head low and you could see her eyes were tearing up." more ›

[Update below:] Caroline Giuliani, the daughter of former NYC mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and Donna Hanover, was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at an East 86th Street Sephora. The Post reports that the Harvard student "was taken to Manhattan’s 19th Precinct stationhouse for processing" while the Daily News says the 20-year-old "was caught at Sephora about 3:30 p.m., sources said. Surveillance video is being reviewed by police." A few years ago, it was reported that Caroline Giuliani was going by the name "Caroline Hanover." more ›

NJ law enforcement authorities say that former Seton Hall basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez tried to shoplift a $1,395 bag from the Polo store at the Mall of Short Hills, but Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to charges today. According to NJ.com, "He was released without bail pending his next court date on Aug. 27, and is prohibited from going to the Mall at Short Hills while his case is being handled." The 47-year-old was fired from Seton Hall four months ago and now works at law firm Krovatin Klingeman; Gerry Krovatin told NJ.com earlier this month that the situation was "a misunderstanding in a series of miscommunications." Like when Jerry was a dandy fancy boy (video after the jump)? more ›

Connecticut TV reporter Desiree Fontaine was arrested for shoplifting last week, and police say that she claimed she was working on... a story about shoplifting. Fontaine allegedly "selected" some cologne, jewelry and a men's Hawaiian shirt from the Sears at the Westfield Connecticut Post mall; according to the police report, "She appeared to be evasive with her answers. She then stated that she is a freelance news reporter, and she was doing something on the side." Her lawyer told the New Haven Register, "This has been a rough experience and a troubled time for Desiree," while WTNH-TV says Fontaine is on "personal leave." She'd be facing further public shaming if she shoplifted at these NYC bodegas. more ›

Up until now, we thought the worst public punishment for shoplifting we'd heard of was the fictional stoning Larry David received in the 2nd season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but that seems almost quaint compared to the ruthless tactics currently being employed by some local Chinese emporiums. Some shopkeepers have been taking the law into their own hands by demanding money from shoplifters they have caught. more ›

A poor 7-year-old boy who risked everything to steal a cheap piece of jewelry for his mom on Mother's Day was forced to make adorable amends once his parents realized the bauble was obtained unethically. Rony Vardi, owner of the cute Catbird boutique in Williamsburg, tells us she wasn't even aware that the locket, worth $15, was missing until the li'l shoplifting prodigy approached her with this note, tears streaming down his face. more ›