Wegmans bans man for life after shoplifting incident

The shoplifting incident left the retailer with a loss of over $300 worth of goods

A lifetime ban was imposed on a Wegmans shopper in the wake of a shoplifting incident that left the retailer with a loss of over $300 worth of goods, according to The Buffalo News.

Robert Patrick, 36, will reportedly no longer be allowed to shop the extensive aisles of the Rochester, New York-based grocery chain after the incident at the Niagra Falls, New York, location.

Wegmans, a family-owned chain, has proliferated into an industry leader since being founded in 1916 with more than 100 locations across multiple states. Back in October, the grocer made its official debut in New York City with a location at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Patrick was arrested in connection to a Dec. 7 incident in which police say $303 worth of steaks, crab legs and lobster tails were stolen from the retailer located on Military Road, the outlet reported. This marks the third incident to plague the retail location in recent weeks.

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The 36-year-old allegedly fled behind nearby homes before being located. Meanwhile, the stolen goods were hidden underneath a porch of a home nearby, police told the outlet.

The goods were recovered but had to be discarded due to damage caused during the chaos, police said. Patrick was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, petit larceny, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, police told FOX Business.

Wegmans declined to comment, saying it does not comment on police matters.

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Just a day prior to Patrick's arrest, a 37-year-old woman was allegedly banned from the grocer for a similar offense. Coincidently, it was over similar items.

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Wegmans Asset Protection witnessed Elena Simpson place various steaks and seafood into her coat from the same location, the police department wrote on Facebook. On Dec. 6, police issued Simpson an appearance ticket for petit larceny and a trespass warning which bans her from the grocer for two years.

Prior to that, police say Wegmans Loss Prevention observed 45-year-old Jonathan Stevens “place various merchandise” in his cart and leave without paying. In this case, Stevens was charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief but was not issued a ban, according to the department's Facebook post.

The regional supermarket chain has 47 locations in New York, 18 in Pennsylvania, nine in New Jersey, 12 in Virginia, eight in Maryland, six in Massachusetts and one in North Carolina. It is considered one of the largest private companies in the United States with nearly 50,000 employees and was named amongst the top 75 supermarkets based on sales volume, according to a 2019 list compiled by Supermarket News.

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In 2018, the company reported the annual sales of just over $9 billion, the company's website explains.