A serial shoplifter with nearly 150 arrests on his record is back in handcuffs just weeks after being released, and this time, prosecutors say his favorite target was a candle aisle in Queens.
Shaquan Seth, 40, was taken into custody Monday for allegedly trying to swipe $800 worth of Threshold candles from a Target on Jackson Avenue, according to Queens prosecutors. Court documents claim Seth was already banned from the store, but that didn’t stop him from reportedly loading 40 candles into a pull cart and attempting to walk out without paying.
The Post recently highlighted Seth’s long history of thefts, which stretches back to 2009 and includes multiple runs at the same Target, where he allegedly stole $600 in candles back in June. Despite his lengthy rap sheet, he was let go on August 7 because New York’s bail laws don’t allow judges to set bail for non-violent offenses like petty larceny.
This time around, prosecutors are using a legal loophole called “harm on harm,” which lets judges set bail in non-violent cases if the defendant has a pattern of crime and causes damage or injury. Seth now faces charges of third-degree burglary and petty larceny.
At his arraignment late Monday, the Queens DA’s office asked for no bail, but Judge Jennifer Saint-Preux set it at $10,000 cash or bond. Prosecutors also requested home confinement if he manages to post bail. Online records show Seth is currently being held at Rikers Island.
What’s next for this repeat offender, and will the system finally hold him accountable?
