A serial shoplifter on probation for a series of thefts in Richmond and Columbia counties begged cops for another chance last Friday afternoon after her latest attempt.
Olivia James, 31, of Augusta, was stopped while walking out of JCPenney with $704 in stolen merchandise, according to a sheriff’s report. She had gone around and ripped the tags off 23 items before bagging them and heading for the exit, the report says.
The items included lots of Puma graphic T-shirts as well as Adidas merchandise and other sporting wear, the report says.
A store employee stopped the suspect, and a sheriff’s deputy responded. That’s when James asked for a second chance. She told the deputy that she could do better.
“I asked her what she meant and James stated that she has shoplifted before and had gone to jail for it three times before the current offense,” the report says.
Court records show that her Augusta probation was extended after she kept shoplifting in Columbia County last year. She is now charged with felony shoplifting.