Florida’s Hard Rock Casino Store Sees Shoplifting, $6.4K In Luxury Items Returned

Posted on: August 31, 2022, 04:30h. 

Last updated on: September 1, 2022, 12:32h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

An elderly mother and her middle-aged daughter were charged Tuesday in a shoplifting scheme at the Lux clothing store in Davie, Fla.’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, police said. They allegedly swiped $6,442 worth of high-end women’s clothes in July.

Lisa Bailey in a mug shot
Lisa Bailey in a mug shot. Along with her mother, she allegedly stole high-end women’s clothes from a store at a Florida casino. (Image: Broward County Sheriff’s Office)

Maryellen Bailey, 79, and Lisa Bailey, 51, of Miami Shores, Fla., both were charged with grand theft, WTVJ, a Miami TV station, reported. They were each released from the Broward County Jail this week after posting a $7,500 bond, the report added.

Under their shoplifting plot, the duo took turns distracting a sales clerk in the luxury store, authorities revealed. The other culprit shoved a fashionable dress, miniskirt, and beach coverups into a handbag, officials added. Only one employee was in the store at the time of the theft.

Grand theft in Florida could lead to a jail sentence of up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine. That’s unless the duo can reach some kind of plea bargain or probation with prosecutors.

Luxury Shoplifters

Among the items the mother-daughter duo stole was a $5,995 Natalia Fedner Midas Racerback gunmetal dress. Natalia Fedner clothes have been seen on prominent celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce. Fedner often uses metal textiles and knitting in evening wear.

The mother-daughter team also allegedly stole two black Dolcezza beach cover-ups and a Dolcezza miniskirt. Dolcezza is a North American-based provider of contemporary separates and accessories for women.

Once the clerk realized there had been a theft, local police were contacted. Detectives checked surveillance video. The license plate on the Bailey’s car was spotted and identified.

Items Returned

Detectives then called the duo, and the women showed up at police headquarters the following day. The duo brought the stolen items with them and admitted to stealing the pricey items. These items were ultimately turned over to police and returned to the retail store.

Maryellen Bailey in a mug shot
Maryellen Bailey in a mug shot, pictured above. Along with her daughter, she allegedly stole high-end clothes from a store at a casino in Florida. (Image: Broward County Sheriff’s Office)

One of the women also wrote a letter of apology to the management of the Lux store. The two suspects confessed to cops that they had been shoplifting since 2020.

They had never been caught in the act previously, they told officers.

It is unclear why the two women chose to shoplift.

Luxury Thefts on the Rise

In recent months, luxury retailers have reported that more thefts are being seen worldwide, the Robb Report, a luxury lifestyle magazine, revealed this year. Some retail outlets struck by theft have been Palm Beach, Fla. and San Francisco.

Greg Smith, executive vice president and co-founder of Berkley Asset Protection, explained to the Robb Report, “There’s become an acceptability to theft — it’s not a violent crime.”The theft of luxury brands may seem harmless because thieves believe luxury brands and upscale retailers can withstand thefts.