Southeast Shoplifter Collins Faces Jail Time

WASHINGTON – A brazen thief has been brought to justice, but Kenneth Collins, 37, of Washington, D.C., could be facing a long time behind bars for his alleged crime.

Collins was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft for stealing merchandise from a CVS store in Southeast Washington, D.C. on January 17, 2024.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the indictment, which stems from an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the government’s evidence, Collins took merchandise without paying from the CVS store.

Collins’ case is particularly noteworthy because he has two or more prior theft convictions, making him eligible for enhanced penalties. This means he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 42 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion, since September 1, 2023. This case is just the latest example of the office’s efforts to hold repeat offenders accountable.

Collins is set to be arraigned on May 22, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Cotter.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and Kenneth Collins is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, if convicted, Collins could be facing a significant amount of time behind bars.