'Professional booster' shoplifted from same UES store 10 times: NYPD

2022-05-28 06:11:59 By : Ms. Mae Wang

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A woman who dubbed herself a “professional booster” after she was nabbed for shoplifting earlier this year has been arrested again — for allegedly robbing the same Manhattan drug store 10 times, police said.

Michelle Mckelley, 42, now has 108 arrests under her belt following her latest bust Wednesday, when she was charged with 10 separate petty larcenies from the Rite Aid at Second Avenue and East 96th Street, cops and a police source said.

“She has 108 arrests!” the Manhattan cop exclaimed. “What are they waiting for 200 arrests to hold her? When does it stop? It’s making a mockery of the system.”

A Manhattan Criminal Court judge opted to release Mckelley late Thursday night after she pleaded guilty to one count of petit larceny and three counts of disorderly conduct. The career shoplifter must complete five sessions of a program for recidivist offenders or she’ll risk a 90-jaily sentence, Judge Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz said. 

Mckelley’s alleged spree at the Rite Aid started April 21, and resulted in the theft of dozens of body washes, hair products, soaps, candy and other items worth a total of $1,375, police said. 

On April 29, she allegedly stole “10 summer coolers” worth $350, according to police. It wasn’t clear how she managed to take the large coolers from the store without detection, cops said.

On May 17, she allegedly used a suitcase to steal denim leggings, multiple bottles of body wash, a number of air fresheners and other products worth $210.

Her arrest for the Rite Aid spree came three days after she was nabbed for stealing from a Target on Columbus Avenue and 100th Street on Sunday.

On that visit, she is accused of stealing four containers of Tide Pods, two Sun Squad backpacks, one package of Chips Ahoy, four Febreze air fresheners and six Glade air fresheners for a total value of $139, according to police.

A Manhattan judge freed her on supervised release.

Back in February, she was nabbed for allegedly stealing from a Target on Third Avenue near East 70th Street — in what was believed to be her 96th arrest.

After that bust, Mckelley allegedly told cops, “I haven’t got caught in a long time,” prosecutors said.

“I’m a professional booster. Y’all are stopping my hustle,” the serial shoplifter allegedly told officers, according to prosecutors.

Speaking to The Post after her arraignment — where she was released — Mckelley said, “I don’t call it stealing, I call it professional boosting.”

Most of her arrests were for petit larceny, a misdemeanor that is not eligible for monetary bail under state law.

“You have people who keep stealing items from these stores,” the Manhattan cop said. “It’s affecting urban living. Stores are moving and people have to travel to other areas to get what they need. And nobody’s doing anything about it.”

The judge in Mckelley’s Febrary case agreed to free her under the supervision of the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES), while warning her not to get arrested again.

Meanwhile, the latest judge to free Mckelley, Maldonado-Cruz, took an upbeat note at her arraignment Thursday and congratulated her on her recent move from a woman’s shelter to her own place. 

After sentencing her to time served on the three counts, the judge said, “Congratulations. You’re doing the right thing. I wish you well.”

Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD Detective Sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the program clearly didn’t work for Mckelley.

“The city and activists have been trying to push people into alternatives to jail but apparently that’s no deterrence for Michelle,” Giacalone said.

“At this point, they need to hold her on bail and she needs to do some time. She’s a walking crime wave.”