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A California woman is now facing three years in prison after being convicted of habitually shoplifting from mainly Target.

San Francisco resident Aziza Graves, 43, was specifically convicted on the 3rd of one felony count of grand theft and 52 misdemeanor counts of petty theft.

Graves shoplifted from a Target at the Stonestown Galleria shopping mall dozens of times between Oct. 3rd, 2020, and Nov. 16th, 2021, stealing over $60,000 worth of items, according to an extensive press release from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

“Ms. Graves would enter Target, and then immediately proceed to select merchandise from the shelves,” the press release reads. “She would then proceed to the self-checkout counter where she would scan each item, insert a nominal amount, such as a single coin or bill, and then exit the store.”

After she was reported to the authorities, the authorities decided to follow her around both inside the store and out. They discovered that after shoplifting, she’d take the items to stolen goods vendors at the nearby UN Plaza and sell them.

“She was observed selling her stolen goods at UN Plaza to sellers of stolen property,” the press release notes. “She subsequently began to sell her stolen goods to anyone passing by.”

She was eventually picked up, arrested, charged, and convicted. She now awaits sentencing on May 24th.

“Retail theft continues to have a major impact on San Francisco businesses from the small mom-and-pop corner store to the large retail stores,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “Individuals such as Aziza Graves commit egregious thefts through brazen and repeated conduct that greatly impacts retailers’ ability to operate and serve the general public in their area.”

“These crimes demand accountability and we need to send the message to others who engage in open and brash thefts that, with the support of our local law enforcement partners, our office will continue to pursue and prosecute those involved. This verdict emphasizes that the citizens of San Francisco will not tolerate these offenders who attempt to take advantage of our business community,” she added.

But why is Graves just now facing accountability for something she did in 2021?

Because when she committed the crimes, since-disgraced and since-ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin was in office. Boudin was notorious for being soft on crime.

According to local station KGO, records show that after Target reported her to Boudin’s office, he did nothing for months until Jenkins, who wasn’t in office yet, launched a recall effort against him, alleging that he was soft on crime.

A week after Jenkins had collected enough signatures for the recall effort, Boudin’s office posted the following to Twitter: “Breaking News: SFDA Office operation results in arrest of prolific retail thief… more than 100 separate thefts… thank you to SFPD for assisting… more information coming soon.”

Very convenient timing, aye?

Graves was subsequently arrested but then immediately released, after which she predictably was arrested again after committing more shoplifting — this time from stories at San Francisco’s Westfield Centre mall.

Three years later, she’s faced dozens of hearings and argues now that she shouldn’t be in trouble period.

“I don’t think I should be on trial for anything right now,” she told KGO, arguing that she’s homeless and is struggling just to survive.

She later sent an email to KGO claiming she hadn’t shoplifted, and that when using the self-checkout, “the machine said payment complete after putting in just one cent. I had to figure out how one cent could equal 100%.”

She then claimed that “the actual value of what we call a penny is .000001 credits or $100 million,” whatever that means.

Vivek Saxena
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