An Edison woman faces a shoplifting charge after she allegedly hid more than $500 in beauty items inside a designer handbag at Livingston's Ulta Beauty store.
Letitia Simonson, 41, was charged with shoplifting for allegedly stealing miscellaneous beauty display items from the store on June 26, as first reported by the West Essex Tribune. Court officials said Simonson placed approximately $513 worth of merchandise into a Burberry bag to avoid payment.
The case was one of two criminal matters heard in Livingston Municipal Court, according to the Tribune's Oct. 14 report.
Under New Jersey law, shoplifting is graded based on the full retail value of the merchandise taken. State guidelines from the Attorney General's office classify merchandise valued above $500 but below $75,000 as a third-degree crime under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11. A third-degree shoplifting conviction can carry three to five years in prison, a fine up to $15,000, or both.
By comparison, fourth-degree shoplifting covers merchandise valued between $200 and $500. That grade carries up to 18 months in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both. Fourth-degree offenses may be downgraded to disorderly persons offenses and sent to municipal court at the county prosecutor's discretion. That downgrade is not available if the offense is the defendant's third or subsequent shoplifting charge.
The state guidelines do not describe a similar downgrade path for third-degree offenses. It is not clear from available records why the Simonson case, involving merchandise allegedly valued at $513, was heard in municipal court rather than at the county level.
No plea has been reported. The case remains pending.
