Police: Milton pair paid using improper discount tags

The Milton mom and daughter arrested in a shoplifting incident on Thursday weren’t seen walking off with items scooped off store shelves, but rather placing discount stickers on those items before paying for them, but that’s still enough to be charged with willful concealment, a Rochester Police Officer said.

Lynn Gates, 52, and Kristen Gates, 24, both of 53C Charles Street, were charged with willful concealment and were released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail after placing the discount stickers on items at the Walmart store in Rochester, according to Rochester Police Sgt. Patrick Emerson.

He said the pair were arrested together outside the store after paying for the items, the nature of which he would not disclose.

Rochester Police have been publicizing willful concealment arrests for about six months, Emerson said, but it’s still too early to determine if shoplifting incidents have been reduced significantly due to the campaign.

He said several stores have set up in-house loss prevention operations and those efforts have helped police make more arrests.

Recently police press releases have also noted that “a person who has been twice convicted of shoplifting within a 36 month period shall be charged with a Class B Felony.”

Sentences for a felony can be as much as three and a half to seven years in jail plus a fine, Emerson said, but the maximums are not always dealt.

“Judges take each case individually, they look at the big picture,” he said. 

Still, many employment applications require job seekers divulge felony conviction information, so conviction can follow an individual for a lifetime.

Emerson said a lot of the willful concealment arrests are first-time offenders, but there are “a fair amount of repeat offenders as well.”

Meanwhile, the Gates are scheduled to appear for arraignment next month at the 7th Circuit, Rochester District Court.