menards of st joseph Missouri menards security/trinity security josh huffman wrongfully accused of shoplifting and extorted for finiancal restitution for 150 dolllars all over a 3 dollar hat i had tried on and forgot to take off. Saint Joseph, Missouri

From reading your submission/confession it is a clear cut case of retail theft. I would certainly hope that you fully cooperated with the civil citation by this time as it is just past 6 months from when you stated it happened. Yes, the situation as you stated could appear as a simple mistake however by wearing the hat through the store not only poses health issues but shows intent to possess. All that is needed to prove theft is that intent was present. Once you pass the last point of sale with any unpaid product you have now committed retail theft.

I have worked in retail loss prevention for quite a few years now and have seen these things go very bad for the offender if they do not take the free pass and avoid the mark on their record. If you were to happen to not pay the civil and are seen in the store by the Loss Prevention Officer he could elect to detain you and convey you into the custody of the local police department and charge you with theft. It would be a slam dunk case as it is all but guaranteed that he already has a DVD of the offense on file and the fact that you elected to not pay as agreed to when you signed the civil citation.

In my area all arrests earn a photo in the paper and all of the associated embarassment that goes along with it. I personally enjoy my contributions to that.

If I were you I would contact the Menards Corporate Office and explain the situation. I would defeniately recommend that you pay for the hat as you did wear it and offer to pay a smaller fine. Often they will accept such as an acceptable recourse.