Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Lisa Van Diep, of the 100 block of Farrington Court, is no longer charged in the alleged theft
Prosecutors withdrew a felony retail theft charge against an Upper Providence Township woman last month, who was accused of under-ringing merchandise at Redner's on 51 occasions.
Lisa Van Diep, 57, of the 100 block of Farrington Court, was originally charged by Lower Providence Township detectives Dec. 6 with the offense, which they allege occurred over an eight-month period at the 2850 Audubon Village Drive location, per an affidavit. Investigators alleged Van Diep scammed Redner’s out of nearly $1,600 by under-ringing merchandise at self-checkout registers.
On Nov. 14, loss prevention reported to police that from Feb. 18 to Oct. 30, 2024, Van Diep carried out an under-ring scam on 51 occasions, according to an affidavit. An investigation by Redner’s following a random store audit and review of surveillance footage resulted in loss prevention staff identifying and documenting each incidence of theft, police said.
Police alleged that Van Diep used two different credit cards for transactions, 46 of them using a Mastercard and six using a Visa, at self-checkout registers. According to the complaint, self-checkout lanes are not equipped with scales designed to inhibit under-ringing or theft.
While checking out her groceries, Van Diep allegedly scanned the items and placed them in bags. However, when scanning items she planned to under-ring, Van Diep allegedly scanned a barcode printed on a small piece of paper rather than the barcode displayed on the grocery item.
Van Diep also would ring up produce items with an item code cheaper than the one she intended to purchase, police said.
Detectives said Van Diep used this method at all 51 documented thefts, resulting in a total loss of $1,571.47.
According to the complaint, Van Diep’s black Nissan Murano’s license plate registration was used to connect her driver’s license photo with surveillance footage from Redner’s.
Police initially charged Van Diep with 51 felonies, according to the affidavit of probable cause, but court records show she was arraigned Dec. 6 on one count of felony theft and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
According to court records, Van Diep's case has been scheduled for a Court of Common Pleas review for a pre-disposition matter.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
