Woman admits to shoplifting more than $2,000 from Dick's Sporting Goods

One of two women from Wilmington, Delaware has admitted to shoplifting more than $2,000 from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Upper Providence Township in November 2024.

Alexis Nicole Smith, 30, of the 2600 block of North Washington Avenue, pleaded guilty last month to felony retail theft and was given 23 months of probation, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.

Charges of felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanor possessing an instrument of crime were dismissed at the sentencing. Smith was accused of having a metal magnet used to defeat security tags, police said. Other charges of misdemeanor giving false identification to police and felony conspiracy to commit theft were withdrawn at Smith's preliminary hearing.  

Smith's alleged accomplice in the theft -- Doniesha Katrice Martin, 36, of the 1100 block of West 4^th Street, Wilmington, DE -- had a pre-trial conference scheduled last week. Martin is charged with felony counts of retail theft, conspiracy to commit retail theft, and receiving stolen property, per court records.

On Nov. 19 at 6:05 p.m., Upper Providence Township Police were dispatched to the sporting goods store at 400 Front Street in the Collegeville section of the township for a report of suspicious persons in the store, per the affidavit. Police said employees staged out front of the store in case the individuals stole items, as there were three individuals inside loading up shopping carts with merchandise.

At 6:16 p.m., police were informed by employees that three women were pushing two carts toward the front doors, bypassing the registers, per the complaint. Police saw the three suspects exit the store and all three were placed under arrest for shoplifting, police said.

The total amount taken was $2,230. 85 in merchandise, police said.

Smith told police she did not have her identification, and was told she was part of an official police investigation and any false identification would be a crime, police said. Smith told police he name was “Tanajee Pennewell” with a February 1995 birthdate, according to the affidavit.

Police later determined Smith’s real name and her real date of birth as May 1994, according to the report.

Police said Smith was carrying a Kohl’s tote bag filled with several pieces of clothing, some with security tags still attached. Smith told authorities she stole several items and walked out without paying, per the affidavit.

Upon patting her down, Smith told police she had a “beeper remover” in her pocket aka a magnetic device to remove security tags on clothing, police said.

When police asked for Martin’s name, she allegedly said gave a different name, but her proper address, police said. At Montgomery County jail, Martin told authorities her real name, which was confirmed by her fingerprints, per the complaint.

The name of the third woman arrested has not been released by authorities.

Police allege all three told them they arrived together at the store with the intent of stealing merchandise.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.