Forks Man Fled Wal-Mart Security after Failed TV Theft, Police say

Brian Clarke, 23, of Forks Township is charged with one count of retail theft after allegedly trying to steal a 50-inch TV from the Lower Nazareth Wal-Mart.

A Forks Township man tried to steal a 50-inch television from the Lower Nazareth Wal-Mart, according to Colonial Regional Police. Brian Clarke, 23, of Acorn Drive, is charged with one count of retail theft. According to court records, Clarke went to the store early Monday, loaded the Sony television into a shopping cart, and then walked out the front door. A security guard gave chase, and Clarke allegedly abandoned the TV in the parking lot. Police put out an alert, and Clarke was picked up in Easton, where officers found the TV's anti-theft device in his car. Clarke was arraigned before District Judge Richard Yetter. He is free on 10 percent of $5,000 bail.

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Police find Marijuana, Ecstasy in Alleged Shoplifter's Purse

Jessica Andrea Jackson, of Warren County, N.J., was detained Friday night after allegedly trying to leave the Walmart in Lower Nazareth Township with stolen bedding items.

A 27-year-old woman is accused of trying to take $363.40 from the bedding department at Walmart in Lower Nazareth Township. She’s also charged with possession of marijuana and ecstasy. Jessica Andrea Jackson, of Port Murray in Warren County, N.J., was detained around 6 Friday night after allegedly trying to leave the Walmart in the Northampton Crossings shopping center with the bedding items. A store official told Colonial Regional Officer Ronald Nigro that Jackson allegedly was putting items into a gray tote and tried to leave without paying. Police found a ziplock bag of marijuana and a clear capsule of ecstasy inside Jackson’s purse, court records say. She was arraigned later Friday night by on-duty District Judge David Tidd and charged…

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Woman Shoplifted Kohl's Merchandise with Child in Tow, Police say

Another woman who had been with Lora Alane Metwally, 62, of Plainfield Township, inside Kohl's took the child and “fled” in a vehicle, court records say.

A 62-year-old woman pushing a shopping cart with a young child seated inside tried to steal about $153 in merchandise from Kohl's Department Store in Lower Nazareth Township Tuesday night, court records say. Lora Alane Metwally was stopped by a Kohl's loss-prevention official around 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Northampton Crossings shopping center with the merchandise still in the cart. Another woman who had been with Metwally inside Kohl's took the child and “fled” in a vehicle, the records say. According to a criminal complaint filed by Colonial Regional Patrolman Matthew Antonucci, the loss-prevention official observed Metwally and the other woman in the women’s department. Metwally selected various items and placed them on the …

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Duo Allegedly Stole $1,200 in Jewelry, Clothing from Boscov's

Justin Lee Bowyer and Natasha Romanishan are charged with retail theft and criminal conspiracy after allegedly stealing $1,200 in jewelry and clothing from Boscov's in Palmer Township.

A Tatamy man and a Lower Nazareth woman are charged with trying to steal 78 pieces of jewelry and two articles of clothing with a total value of about $1,200 from Boscov’s in Palmer Park Mall. Police say Justin Lee Bowyer, 23, placed necklaces from an unsecured display rack inside his winter hat -- a tan beanie. His alleged accomplice, Natasha Romanishan, 22, assisted him with which items to remove, police say. The alleged incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Friday. A Boscov’s loss-prevention manager told police he saw the pair at the jewelry rack, then leave the jewelry department for the men’s department, where they selected a hooded sweatshirt and a winter hat. They were apprehended outside the gift department doors on the east side …

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Lower Nazareth to Address Retail Thefts, Drain on Police Resources

Rather than patrolling the community, officers are spending more time handling retail thefts, according to the Colonial Regional Police Commission; Lower Nazareth Township is now taking steps to address the problem.

Shoplifters in the commercial hub near Routes 33 and 248 in Lower Nazareth Township have more than loss-prevention staff taking notice. The Lower Nazareth Board of Supervisors on Sept. 26 gave township manager Timm Tenges permission to pursue the formation of a committee, the sole purpose of which will be to address concerns over the drain of police resources perpetuated by retail thefts. According to Supervisors Chairman Eric Nagle, the Colonial Regional Police Commission is concerned that its officers are spending less time patrolling the community. On average, Nagle added, one retail theft incident takes about 90 minutes to handle. “I want to understand why it takes [90 minutes],” Tenges said. "It would be helpful to understand the …

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Nazareth Teacher Accused of Shoplifting Headed to Court

Stacee Banko, 32, a Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher accused of shoplifting from a local department store, waives her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

The Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher accused of stealing from a Lower Nazareth department store -- and leaving her 11-year-old daughter behind -- waived her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday, according to court records. Stacee Banko, 32, of the 300 block of Township Line Road in Lower Nazareth Township, is charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property. Her formal arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 29 in Northampton County Court. Banko is a 5th grade teacher in the Nazareth Area School District, where she has taught for 10 years, according to teacherweb.com. On Sept. 22, according to court records, Banko was at the Kohl's store in the Northampton Crossings shopping center when store security spotted her taking …

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Woman Tried to Cheat Walmart's Return Policy, Police say

Loriann Graham, 41, of Wayne County is accused of trying to cash in on a returned vacuum cleaner she never purchased in the first place.

Colonial Regional Police say a Wayne County woman attempted to return a vacuum cleaner to the Lower Nazareth Walmart Thursday afternoon... without having paid for it in the first place. Loriann Graham, 41, of Newfoundland, is charged with one count of retail theft. According to court papers, Walmart security spotted Graham put a vacuum cleaner in her shopping cart and then take it to customer service and try to "return" it. When Graham was unable to show a receipt for the vacuum, she tried to leave the store. Security guards stopped her before she reached the exit. Graham was arraigned before on-duty District Judge Gay Elwell in Easton. She was free on $10,000 unsecured bail.

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Nazareth Teacher Accused of Shoplifting, Leaving Daughter Behind

Stacee Banko, 32, a Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher, is free on $10,000 unsecured bail after allegedly shoplifting from Kohl's in Lower Nazareth Township.

Nazareth Teacher Accused of Shoplifting, Leaving Daughter Behind

Stacee Banko, 32, a Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher, is free on $10,000 unsecured bail after allegedly shoplifting from Kohl's in Lower Nazareth Township.

Colonial Regional Police say a Lower Nazareth woman -- and Nazareth Area Intermediate School teacher -- stole from a township department store Saturday, and then left her 11-year-old daughter behind. Stacee Banko, 32, of the 300 block of Township Line Road, is charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property. Banko is a 5th grade teacher in the Nazareth Area School District, where she has taught for 10 years, according to teacherweb.com. According to court records, Banko was at the Kohl's store in the Northampton Crossings shopping center when store security spotted her taking a shopping bag and loading it up with clothing. Although Banko paid for one item, she left the store without paying for $184.94 in merchandise, according to …

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Police: Woman Put New Shoes on Granddaughter, Didn't Pay

A grandmother with a pending retail theft charge allegedly shoplifted $242 in items from a Lower Nazareth department store's children's section.

A Washington Township, Northampton County, grandmother is accused of shoplifting from a Lower Nazareth store with her granddaughter in tow. Millie Lou Kieran, 51, of the 600 block of Richmond Road, was charged Saturday with retail theft following her arrest at the Wal-Mart on Route 248. Colonial Regional Police say Kieran loaded several items -- valued at $242 -- from the children's section into her cart, and then put those items into a shopping bag and left without paying. Police say Kieran also put a pair of new shoes on her granddaughter's feet without paying. Court papers say there is a pending retail theft charge against Kieran in New Jersey. She was arraigned before District Judge Gay Elwell in Easton, and was released on $10,000 …

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