Woman Charged with Shoplifting Earns Second Chance After Completing Larceny Prevention Course, Community Service at Animal Shelter
NORFOLK, Va. — A 19-year-old woman who was charged with first-offense shoplifting last year, just days after she had turned 18, successfully completed a term of probation and community service last month, earning her the right to the dismissal of her charge and helping her avoid a criminal record.
On Jan. 24, 2024, the woman — who had turned 18 nine days prior on Jan. 15 — and her two female friends — who were still 17 — collectively attempted to steal under $700-worth of merchandise from the Target store on North Military Highway. The store’s loss prevention officers detained the young woman and two girls, contacted the girls’ parents, and called Norfolk Police. Based on the evidence, the police issued to the 18-year-old woman a criminal summons for petit larceny. The woman had no criminal history prior to this offense.
Following a trial in Norfolk General District Court — which, like nearly all misdemeanor shoplifting trials in Norfolk and neighboring cities, went forward without a prosecutor present due to a lack of funding for misdemeanor prosecutors — a judge found the woman guilty of petit larceny and sentenced her to serve two days in the Norfolk City Jail, with the remainder of a month in jail suspended on the condition that she remained of uniform good behavior for one year. The woman appealed her conviction to Norfolk Circuit Court, at which point the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office became involved in the case.
In July 2024, the woman entered an agreement to plead guilty to petit larceny with the chance to avoid a criminal conviction. The agreement, which Judge Tasha D. Scott accepted, called for the judge to withhold finding the woman guilty and for the woman to remain of uniform good behavior, complete a larceny prevention course, complete 20 hours of community service, and comply with a year-long ban from the Target store in Norfolk. If she completed the terms of the agreement, her case would be dismissed, and if she did not, she would be convicted of petit larceny and sentenced to one month in jail, with that sentence suspended.
On Oct. 28, 2025, the woman returned to court after having stayed out of Target, successfully finished her larceny prevention course, and served 20 hours of community service at a local animal shelter. Having completed the requirements of her plea agreement, the Commonwealth moved to dismiss the woman’s petit larceny charge, and Judge David W. Lannetti dismissed the case.
“Justice is not convicting everyone just because we can. It is also about offering second chances to young people who make mistakes, make amends, and promise to do better,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “The young woman in this case was convicted in District Court because, as in every city in Hampton Roads, most low-level misdemeanor cases go forward without prosecutors present due to a lack of funding from Richmond or from city governments. No prosecutor present means no opportunity for diversion or alternatives, only for conviction and jail. I am glad that we were able in Circuit Court to offer this young woman a chance to do better, and I commend her for making the most of it. My office and I will continue to advocate for adequate funding to have a prosecutor on every case in Norfolk where the accused faces jail, and we will continue to make informed decisions to offer second chances where appropriate and accountability where justice and safety require it.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anthony J. Comento was the lead prosecutor on this case, and Norfolk Police Officer Riza M. Ekmekci led the investigation.
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