Rock Hill, North Carolina — Four women could be facing 10 years in prison, spending their holidays behind bars after being arrested and charged in a shoplifting ring.
Police said, ” four brazen low lives stole from Belk, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Hobby Lobby, T.J. Maxx, Ross, and Walmart in Rock Hill, along with several other stores at Concord Mills mall.”
Police say they have been investigating for about a month, after seeing surveillance video from the Walmart on Dave Lyle Boulevard in Rock Hill. The Video shows four women pushing a dozen shopping carts right out the door of the garden center, overflowing with thousands of dollars in merchandise, while a clerk watches and does nothing.
Rock Hill Police Officer Mark Bollinger said they weren’t finished, either. “They went out to their car in the parking lot, offloaded everything, and went back into the store, loaded them up again, and walked out,” Bollinger said.
According to reports, police served search warrants on four houses and found stacks of wrapped Christmas presents that were wrapped with stolen wrapping paper. Police had to unwrap every stolen gift.
Police found toys, clothing, and more than $5,000 worth of other items in the homes of the four suspects. The total value is unclear at this time but is estimated to be over $15,000 including the wrapping paper.
Police arrested twin sisters Stephanie Barber and Stacey Barber, both 35, older sister Kimberly Barber, 36, and a friend, Twanna McCleave, 30. Records show that Stephanie and Stacey Barber have multiple previous convictions involving retail theft.
Police are attempting to return all of the merchandise to the proper stores.
A spokesman for one of the stores said, “incidents like this is what forces retailers to raise prices, people steal and honest people pay the price.”
The investigation is still open.