A Franklin woman is facing felony retail theft charges after she allegedly stole medication and alcohol on Christmas Eve.
A criminal complaint filed through district judge Patrick Lowrey’s office says Sugarcreek Borough patrolman Joseph Highfield was sent to Giant Eagle on Allegheny Boulevard on Christmas Eve for the report of a theft.
Highfield met with store detective Douglas Battles, and Battles told Highfield he watched Alisha Cusick, 36, take a bottle of Advil off the shelf, walk into the next aisle and conceal the medication in her purse, the complaint said.
The detective said he watched Cusick leave the store, then stopped her on the sidewalk and took her to the loss prevention office, according to the complaint. In the office, Cusick opened her purse to give back the medicine and Battles noticed a bottle of Jagermeister in her purse, the complaint said.
Battles asked about the bottle and Cusick provided a receipt for a bottle of vodka that was in a bag from the Wine & Spirits store next to Giant Eagle, the complaint said. She didn’t have a receipt for the Jagermeister, the complaint said.
Highfield asked Cusick if she had ever been arrested for retail theft and she replied, “Oh yeah, at least a handful of times,” the complaint said.
Personnel from the Wine & Spirits store confirmed they were missing a bottle of Jagermeister, the complaint said.
Cusick was taken into custody and arraigned before Lowrey on two felony counts of retail theft-take merchandise. She was unable to post $25,000 bail and was taken to Venango County jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled today in Central Court.
