James City County Police have arrested one woman and issued a warrant for another in connection with several shoplifting incidents from stores in the Premium Outlets last month.
Officers were called to the store True Religion around 5 p.m. Aug. 18 for a report of shoplifting. Michele Denise Munford, a 28-year-old from Richmond, had a pair of jeans — valued at about $100 — she did not purchase in a bag, according to the police report.
At that time, Munford received a misdemeanor charge of concealing merchandise.
That day, officers located Munford’s car and noticed tagged merchandise visible from outside the car. The officers secured a warrant to seize the car, which contained other stolen merchandise from Premium Outlets stores — valued at about $400 from Aeropostale, about $80 from Converse and more than $1,360 from Polo Ralph Lauren — and the Gap Kids and Victoria’s Secret stores in Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News.
Later, the manager of True Religion identified Munford and Winston as being involved in an Aug. 16 shoplifting incident in which items worth more than $800 were taken.
Officers have since seen surveillance video from several of the stores that show Takia Winston, a 30-year-old Richmond woman who was with Munford during the Aug. 18 incident at True Religion, was also involved.
The women are accused of taking more than $2,700 worth of merchandise from stores in Premium Outlets throughout on at least three dates throughout the month of August, as the two Converse items were traced to Aug. 9. The value of the merchandise from Patrick Henry Mall is unknown at this time.
On Aug. 30, Munford was charged with felony counts of shoplifting and conspiracy to shoplift. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse.
Winston, who is facing the same felony charges, has not yet been served.