Accused Kohl's Thief Admits to Theft by Deception

The guilty conscience of a Plainfield Township woman appears to have gotten the best of her.

Georgene Lerch, 61, admitted to loss prevention staff at the in Lower Nazareth Township -- after being stopped for alleged retail theft -- that she went to the store two days earlier, took a Keurig coffee maker from a store shelf, and returned the item to customer service for store credit, according to .

According to a press release from Colonial Regional:

Lerch was stopped by Kohl's loss prevention staff around 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 for concealing store merchandise in a shopping bag and not paying for the items.

According to police, Lerch was seen selecting three boxes of K-cup coffee and a coffee pot accessory for a Keurig coffee maker and placing them in a Kohl's shopping bag.

She then paid for other merchandise, but did not pay for the coffee-related items, which totaled $65.10.

After being stopped by loss prevention staff, Lerch admitted that she was in the store on Jan. 13 -- two days earlier -- and returned a Keurig coffee maker she had just taken off the shelf for store credit, according to police.

Lerch was issued $127.19 for the return.

Charges of retail theft and theft by deception were filed through office.