A woman was convicted on more than 50 charges after she stole over $60,000 worth of merchandise from a Target in San Francisco using a clever self-checkout scam.
The jury found Aziza Graves, 43, guilty of felony grand theft and 52 misdemeanor counts of petty theft for a series of retail thefts at the Stonestown Galleria Target, the San Francisco District Attorney said in a press release.
The string of thefts occurred from Oct. 3, 2020, through Nov.16, 2021.
Once Graves was in the store, she would take merchandise off the shelves and go to the self-checkout counter. She scanned the items then paid a lesser amount for the merchandise with a single coin or bill.
The San Francisco District Attorneys' Investigative Bureau and the San Francisco Police Department's Burglary Unit followed Graves and monitored her after she left Target with stolen merchandise on several occasions.
Officials saw Graves selling the items at UN Plaza to retailers who buy stolen property. She also sold the merchandise to random passersby.
"Retail theft continues to have a major impact on San Francisco businesses from the small mom-and-pop corner store to the large retail stores," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in the press release. "Individuals such as Aziza Graves commit egregious thefts through brazen and repeated conduct that greatly impacts retailers' ability to operate and serve the general public in their area.
Newsweek reached out to Target seeking comment about the self-checkout scam but did not immediately receive a response.
Jenkins said this conviction sends a message.
"This verdict emphasizes that the citizens of San Francisco will not tolerate these offenders who attempt to take advantage of our business community," Jenkins said.
The jury also convicted Graves on a misdemeanor petty theft charge related to an Abercrombie and Fitch in San Francisco.
Graves is facing more than three years in state prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 24.
"The jury heard and considered a large volume of evidence over several weeks, and their verdicts show that they carefully weighed the evidence and the applicable law," Assistant District Attorney Conrad Del Rosario said in the press release.
San Francisco law enforcement officials are trying to crack down on crime, including retail theft. In the final quarter of 2023, theft was down by 41% citywide.
In September of 2023, the city received $17 million from the State of California's Organized Retail Theft Grant Program to investigate and prosecute retail theft cases.
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