Exclusive: 3rd Toys R Us Theft Suspect Arrested, Mother Denies Involvement
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Leapfrogs, Lego's, kitchen accessories and more.
A third person has been charged with reportedly helping mother and son team Michael and Margaret Pollara steal millions of dollars of merchandise from stores like Toys R Us, Kmart and JC Penny, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Travis Simpson, 43, has been charged with a number of counts including fraudulently obtaining property, dealing in stolen property and multiple counts of grand theft. His roommate Jim Woodward said he was shocked. "I'm familiar with that case - I remember reading about that but I didn't know he was involved with it," he said. He said police came to their Oakland Park home and asked whether Simpson had any toys, but Woodward said he did not. "If he had toys around I think I would ask what the heck's going on where'd all these come from," he said.
The Broward Sheriff's Office said Simpson and Pollaras would use a 'box stuffing' technique to steal the items. Basically, they would go into the store and find a toy that came in a large box but didn't cost a lot. They would then allegedly open the box, hide the toy inside somewhere in the store and then fill the box with expensive items like Harry Potter Lego's sets, Leap Pads, Explorer and InnoTabs. The box would be sealed and they would proceed to the cash register and be charged for the less expensive item.
The stolen items would then reportedly be sold on two separate Ebay/PayPal accounts.
The investigation uncovered that Pollaras are responsible for multiple thefts at four different Toys R Us stores in Broward County and 31 different Toys R Us stores throughout the state. A check of Pollara's Toys R Us Loyalty Rewards card found nationwide he made over 175 purchases in 139 Toys R Us stores in 27 states.
BSO says surveillance video from a Broward County store shows Pollara sealing up a box with video games inside while his mother and Simpson played lookout.
Investigators say Pollara's profits from his scheme financed trips around the globe including an upcoming visit to Australia to be followed by a cruise to Russia and China.
Margaret Pollara told CBS4′s Maggie Newland exclusively that she had nothing to do with the thefts.
"I don't want this kind of trouble. I haven't touched a penny from Toys R Us, may God strike me dead ," said Pollera. "I don't care if I never see him. If he was another son he would say 'my mother's innocent'."
Pollara admitted to Newland that she knew of her son's alleged thefts and thought about calling the police, but never did.
'A lot of times. But instead I go to my room and pray," said Pollera. "I said he's gonna get caught and everything's gonna be finished. It had to come to an end, it had to come to an end."
