A Walgreens bicycle-riding thief whose crimes in San Francisco went viral last year was sentenced Monday to 16 months in prison. Video footage had shown him stealing from the Walgreens in San Francisco and then riding out of the store with a large bag of goods.
Jean Lugo Romero pleaded guilty to felony grand theft and misdemeanor petty theft, and received a year of probation in addition to the jail term, San Francisco prosecutors said, Fox News reported.
He was ordered to stay away from two Walgreens employees, two Walgreens stores, and a CVS store.
"Whether the work of organized retail theft rings or of individual suspects, the burglaries impacting our local businesses will not be tolerated," San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said in a statement.
Footage of the incident revealed someone on a bicycle stealing goods into a black bag and riding by a security guard and another person filming him in an aisle. Investigators have linked Romero to other retail-store thefts, including one in a CVS in which he allegedly stole nearly $1,000 worth of cosmetics, which he stowed in a duffel bag.
Last summer, multiple Walgreens and CVS stores closed in San Francisco because of rampant theft that made headlines and emboldened criminals.
The Walgreens incidents have also caused drug chains across the country to lock up a lot of merchandise, inconveniencing shoppers.
Guilty verdicts against Ahmad Shabazz were announced Monday for a series of petty thefts at three separate Walgreens stores. A jury found him guilty of multiple counts.
He is scheduled to be sentenced April 15.
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