Help unintentional shoplifting!?

Question

What is going to happen with this unintentional shoplifting?
Hi, my brother bought a product packaging (a box with some product inside) from his work and before he leaves the shop it "beeped" at the door (the security system), the assistant manager asked for the bill and he couldn't find it so they opened it and they found an expensive product inside the box witch wasn't a part of the packaging. the thing is that its been only 4 days that he works there .they do have cameras at work and almost bought for 200 since he works there...the only thing is that he doesn't remember if he opened the Package in front the camera to check the products or not...but even if he did and he doesn't really know all the products and what is included with the packaging.... they asked him to leave the packaging there until he finds the bill.and he actually found it but what about about the unpaid product :S pls helppppppp (we r canadian and he 20) is he going to loose his job? are they gonna beleive him?

Answer 1

Tanya -



I am an attorney in the USA and I know a lot about this subject under the laws that apply there. Do not take this as creating an attorney-client relationship. You and your brother may, however, find it helpful.



Most answers here will be from people in the USA. Canadian practice is different. The first thing you might try doing is to post at a related site, ca.answers.yahoo.com. You might get more reliable answers there.



Candidly, your brother's explanation sounds weak. The "expensive product inside the box" sounds like it got there mysteriously. Unless video surveillance tapes clear him, probably no one is going to believe him. In that event, he will probably lose his job and might get prosecuted criminally. If I were the employer and I had strong evidence to cause me to believe him to be guilty, I would have criminal charges filed.



Now, if he really is innocent, I think that his only path to convincing anyone of that is to go back to the store's loss prevention personnell, tell them about when he picked up the package and ask them to look at video surveillance tapes. If he is lucky, the surveillance video will show him picking up the product and he can be tracked to the point of sale without being seen having concealed anything in it. Even that won't be conclusive because he could have concealed something earlier and then come back and gotten it, but it would be pretty persuasive.



If he is guilty, he really should consult a criminal defense attorney in your area. That would be a good idea even if he is actually innocent.



I respect your efforts to help your brother and your belief in his innocence, but you have to realize the facts look pretty bad for him.

Answer 2

They should go to the person who checked him out. They can back log the registers. The need to ask the clerk if the package was opened when she/he checked him out.

Answer 3

Riiiiigggghhhhht.



I'd love to see one question in here like this where the person asking either isn't clueless or isn't lying



Your brother was stealing and got caught. His excuse is pathetic and cliched.



He's going to "lose" his job. End of story.

Answer 4

All he can do is just tell the truth.