Michael Allen King, 51, of no fixed address
Michael Allen King, 51, of no fixed address, is facing multiple theft charges following a series of alleged shoplifting incidents at retail stores in St. Mary’s County. King, who has a history of similar offenses, was recently charged in two separate cases involving thefts from a Target store and a Walmart store in California.
Target Store Theft Incident
The first set of charges stems from a series of thefts that occurred at the Target store located on Colony Blvd. According to court documents, King allegedly committed these thefts on July 18 and July 20, 2024. Surveillance footage captured King entering the store with a black backpack hidden inside a shopping cart. He is seen selecting various electronics and clothing items, which he then placed into his backpack while inside the store’s fitting rooms. King reportedly left the store without paying for the items, which included a PowerA Xbox controller, a Bose SoundLink Revolve speaker, and several pieces of clothing. The total value of the stolen goods from Target was estimated at $364.94.
Deputy Ocasio noted in his report that King was “uncooperative at first but eventually admitted to taking the items without paying.” Ocasio added that King “expressed regret but claimed he had no other way to obtain the things he needed.” King has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft, each carrying a potential penalty of up to $1,000 in fines and possible imprisonment. He is scheduled to appear in St. Mary’s County District Court for a preliminary inquiry on September 13, 2024.
Walmart Store Theft Incident
Just weeks after the alleged Target thefts, King was involved in another incident at a Walmart located on Miramar Way in California. This incident occurred on August 7, 2024, and resulted in additional charges against him. According to the statement of charges filed by Corporal Blaine Gaskill, King was observed by Walmart’s loss prevention officer as he took six packs of steaks from the store’s meat section. King reportedly placed the steaks into his shopping cart before transferring them into his backpack in a nearby aisle. He then attempted to leave the store through the grocery side exit without paying for the items, which were valued at $172.13.
The loss prevention officer, who was familiar with King due to a previous theft incident at the same store, confronted King as he tried to exit. The officer reported that King appeared nervous but did not resist when asked to go to the store’s security office. According to the officer, King said, “I was just trying to eat. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
Inside the security office, King emptied his backpack, revealing the stolen steaks. Video footage from the store’s security cameras corroborated the officer’s account of the events. Corporal Gaskill, who arrived at the scene shortly after, noted that King was cooperative with the investigation. “He admitted to the theft when confronted and seemed remorseful,” Gaskill stated in his report. “He mentioned that he had fallen on hard times and was struggling to get by.”
King was identified by Corporal Gaskill through previous interactions with law enforcement and by matching King’s appearance with a photograph from the Sheriff’s Office database. As a result of this incident, King was charged with another count of theft under Maryland law, which also carries a penalty of up to $1,000 in fines and possible imprisonment. This charge is also set for a preliminary inquiry on September 13, 2024, at the St. Mary’s County District Court.
