A Florida woman described as a career shoplifter was handed a 30-year prison sentence after she was found guilty of stealing $20,000 worth of designer sunglasses. According to FOX 13 News, the convicted woman, identified as Ernesha Atmore, has had initial stints in prison after being implicated in stealing designer goods amounting to thousands of dollars.

Atmore’s conviction also came after Florida lawmakers passed harsher retail theft laws. “She committed one of the most brazen thefts I’ve heard of. She went into a Sunglass Hut at International Plaza and had a soft-sided cooler, and she just scooped up about $20,000 in designer sunglasses. When the employee said, ‘What are you doing,’ she said, ‘I have a taser.’ And, as you know, a taser is a weapon,” Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said.

Police arrested Atmore days after she committed the crime. Authorities also found several stolen items in her vehicle. Atmore is said to have turned down a plea deal that would have resulted in her spending three years in prison. As a result, she was handed a 30-year prison sentence after a jury convicted her.

“That’s because the state of Florida has taken a stance on retail theft,” Lopez said. Retail theft was initially classified as a misdemeanor in Florida, but it has since been upgraded to a felony charge – meaning people convicted would serve longer sentences.

And besides stealing the sunglasses, Atmore was accused of two other retail thefts. One of the cases involved her attempting to steal an $8,000 ring from a store, per FOX 13 News. She received an additional 3-month sentence to her conviction.

Last Edited by:Mildred Europa Taylor Updated: May 6, 2024