MEMPHIS, Tenn — A man accused of stealing from nearly two dozen businesses over the last year was arrested after he was caught shoplifting at the Target on Colonial, police say.
MPD said officers responded to a shoplifting in progress at the Target and arrested Jeremy Horton, 37, after he fled the scene. Security officers at the store said Horton was caught on camera stealing two PlayStation controllers worth around $240.00.
Court records show Horton was charged with theft of merchandise at least 21 times over the last year following shoplifting incidents at stores across the city, but most of the charges were dismissed.
A spokesperson for the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office said Horton’s active cases were transferred to mental health court, he pled guilty to five charges and was assigned court-monitored treatment.
The plea agreement specified that if he failed to meet the requirements of the deal, he would serve a five-year sentence. The DA’s office said because Horton did not adhere to the conditions, he would serve the specified sentence.
At the time of his arrest, Horton was wanted for stealing several items from the T-Mobile on Summer Avenue and threatening to shoot up the store.
The store manager told officers Horton was a frequent shoplifter, and his personal information was already on file at the business.
Horton’s criminal record goes back to 2008. Over the last fourteen years, he has been charged nearly 40 times with theft of property. The longest sentence he received was six months behind bars.
Horton is now being held on a $25,000 bond.