Stolen: 113 vacuums, 154 light fixtures, 22 kitchen cabinets, and more
One of the largest shoplifting cases in Cape May County, N.J. history is coming to a close with the sale of a forfeited house that contained $268,000 worth of stolen goods, according to an article in ShoreNewsToday.com.
Thomas Moran, the owner of the house in Sea Isle City, N.J., pled guilty last month to receiving stolen property and was sentenced to six years in prison as part of a plea agreement. Detectives found 71 Dyson vacuum cleaners, 42 Roomba automatic vacuums, 154 light fixtures, 30 ironing boards, 22 kitchen cabinets, tool kits, power saws, portable heaters and numerous consumer electronics, such as GPS systems and computer hard drives in Moran’s house. Also recovered were $187,000 in cash, and $196,000 in gift cards and store credits.
Police believe the merchandise was stolen over a 10-year period from major retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Target, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. The suspect’s methods ranged from simple shoplifting to the use of rebates and returning stolen goods for cash or store credit, sometimes using a false identity, according to the article. The merchandise is being held for six months in an effort to allow the retailers to claim it. The forfeited property is assessed at $236,500.
Authorities visited Moran’s home after he was accused of improperly touching a 12-year-old girl in a supermarket in May’s Landing on Oct. 19. The girl’s mother chased Moran out of the store and called police. Moran was arrested on Nov. 7 after being identified from surveillance pictures. He also pled guilty to a sexual misconduct charge.