Woman Sentenced For Felony Retail Theft, Possessing Device To Avoid Detection

July 27, 2023

A Flomaton woman has been sentenced in Escambia County, Florida, for theft and possessing a device to avoid detection.

Madonna Faith Barnhill was sentenced to 36 months probation for felony retail theft, petit theft with two or more prior convictions and possession of an anti-shoplifting device. She was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service. make restitution to Walmart, and stay away from all Walmart locations.

Barnhill was accused of placing $606.46 worth of merchandise inside an empty microwave box and walking past all points of sale at the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard. The merchandise was recovered by Walmart’s loss prevention, and the incident was captured on camera, according to an arrest report.

According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, a Makita chainsaw in the box, a DeWalt circular saw and pressure washer in their boxes, multiple brand named purses and other miscellaneous items with Belk price tags were found in her vehicle.

Deputies also recovered an item often used to foil shoplifting detection systems.

According to an ECSO report, Barnhill has an “extensive criminal history spanning literally decades consisting of numerous thefts, fraud, false names, forgery, etc.”.

Comments

18 Responses to “Woman Sentenced For Felony Retail Theft, Possessing Device To Avoid Detection”

  1. Bob on July 31st, 2023 12:07 am

    @Molino Man

    I’m explaining why it is stupid to blame high prices on shoplifting or simple supply and demand is stupid.

  2. Molino Man on July 30th, 2023 8:56 am

    @Bob
    Do you own your own business, work for a company, or unemployed? It takes money to operate a business to bring goods and services to market. Yes the utilities are a monopoly but today we have options. Solar panels are available to disconnect from the power company, install on well pump for water. With food you have a variety of options. Different grocery stores or plant a garden. Are you suggesting price controls?

  3. Bob on July 28th, 2023 11:40 pm

    @Molino Man

    You’re right! If we lived in a magical world where no one needed to buy resources like food, shelter, or water, then the supply/demand graph would work.

    However, we live in a world with market manipulation, captive consumers, and monopolies. That makes things a little more complicated than Microeconomics 101.

  4. Molino Man on July 28th, 2023 5:37 pm

    We finally figured it out. Corporate greed and shoplifting doesn’t raise prices. It’s demand! Something only worth what someone is willing to pay. Basic economics.

  5. Bob on July 28th, 2023 3:53 pm

    and @Bewildered

    Relevant username?

    Businesses exist to make money. They charge the maximum amount they think customers will be willing to pay.

    Let’s say I make a product. It costs $1 to make, and I think the most people will pay for it is $5. If someone steals my product, it might raise my costs to produce my product to $1.20 or $1.30, but I’m not going to charge more than the maximum people will pay, even if it cuts into my profits.

    Retail theft doesn’t make prices increase. The nature of basic economics demands prices increase.

  6. Bob on July 28th, 2023 3:45 pm

    @Niknak50

    Walmart estimates that they lose $3 billion to retail theft every year.

    Walmart’s reported gross profits over the last year was just under $150 billion.

    Companies aren’t raising prices because of retail theft. They’re raising prices because, in a capitalist society, they have an obligation to maximize profits for their shareholders. It’s that simple.

  7. Niknak50 on July 28th, 2023 9:29 am

    @Bob
    Corporate greed does exist, but whether you are a large retailer or a small business goods going out the door unpaid for effect the bottom line. All businesses operate on a profit margin and theft erodes that margin. So tell me, how does a business recover those losses?

  8. Bewildered on July 28th, 2023 8:58 am

    Bob: regarding high prices aren’t caused by shoplifting!! They darn sure contribute a lot to it. Companies are not absorbing the losses – the consumers are. Anytime somebody gets something for free, the price for the paying customers goes up! Nothing is free – that’s just simple logic

  9. Confused on July 28th, 2023 3:24 am

    Probation! Wow! Sounds like a career criminal to me! I guess receiving only probation makes it worth it to her to continue to steal! God only knows how much she’s already gotten away with! Judicial stinks!

  10. Esc co Leo on July 27th, 2023 11:56 pm

    She got probation because at the end of the day, it’s just a property crime. And the trend right now in this country is not to incarcerate for property crimes.

    I wish it wasn’t, but that’s how it is.

  11. Bob on July 27th, 2023 5:13 pm

    @Niknak50

    C’mon Niknak. You’re free to be upset about theft, but high prices aren’t caused by shoplifting. It’s caused by corporate greed.

  12. retired on July 27th, 2023 11:03 am

    her history and the amount she took, ONLY probation ?????????
    COME ON JUDGE

  13. El Duque on July 27th, 2023 10:12 am

    36 months probation. Do you really think that will be a deterence for her?

  14. Niknak50 on July 27th, 2023 9:15 am

    By the account of this womans history, she IS a thief, and what does she get? Probation, which means absolutely nothing to her.
    People complain about the high cost of goods these days and people of her ilk directly contribute to it.

  15. EMD on July 27th, 2023 9:00 am

    Why, why, why, is she not in prison? Our judicial system’s system is a mystery.

  16. A-A-Ron on July 27th, 2023 8:54 am

    If it’s that extensive why did she only get probation l?

  17. tg on July 27th, 2023 8:39 am

    Im reminded of the song How Long Can This Keep Going On.

  18. mr. ziffle on July 27th, 2023 1:20 am

    extensive criminal history spanning literally decades consisting of numerous thefts, fraud, false names, forgery, etc.”., … wow, doesn’t this illustrious career warrant some time in the old stony lonesome