By Ariana Mushnick
A Fairfax County Sheriff's
employee pleaded guilty to one count of petit larceny, according to Loudoun
County officials.
Robert H. Palmer Jr., 50, of
Leesburg, turned himself in on two counts of petit larceny after the
shoplifting incident at a Target store in Leesburg, Virginia.
Leesburg police positively
identified Palmer as a sheriff's employee.
The second count of petit
larceny was nolle prossed, meaning it was not purused any further. His 30-day
jail sentence and $1,000 fine was suspended for one year on the condition that
he pay court costs, be of good behavior, and break no further laws, according
to officials.
Additionally, he is required to
stay off Target property in Loudoun County and pay restitution of $100.40.
The
Target security guard who reported the shoplifting incident was fired days
after submitting the report.
The
guard, Dallas Northington, told the Washington Post that he responded to the
incident by calling the police, filing a report, and providing a surveillance
video, as he always did.
Target
officials told him he was fired for violating procedure by not filling out the
paperwork before contacting police.
Police said the firing
"was strictly a corporate decision made by Target with no discussion or
knowledge by our agency."
