Latest news with #foodtheft
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Famous cheesesteak owners who were lauded by Keith Lee are accused of THEFT in shocking street food wars
A food truck approved by famed TikTok critic Keith Lee has closed down after the owners were arrested and charged with the theft of thousands of dollars of food from a nearby sandwich chain. Shamika Johnson, 46, and her husband Johnny Dorvil, 46, were arrested on May 16 and charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $17,000 in stock from a Capriotti's sandwich franchise in Plantation, Florida, that the they also worked at. According to arrest warrants seen by the Daily Mail their boss at the chain restaurant noticed large amounts of stock going missing in March and started to probe further. The unnamed owner uncovered that the duo were allegedly working together to steal large amounts of food items, mainly cheese, meat and bread from the restaurant, the documents say. Not long after noticing the missing amounts, the owner told officers that Johnson started her own food truck in March, named 'Deb's Philly's', which specializes in Philly cheesesteaks. The documents say that the owner was able to identify the specific bread used by Capriotti's, which they say is exclusive to the brand, being used on the food truck alongside other products intended for the restaurant. In a statement to police one employee told officers that they watched the couple carrying food items from the chain to an awaiting vehicle. In total, officials say the two stole $17,394 worth of stock, with Johnson also being charged with handing out $13,523 worth of complimentary meals to Capriotti's customers. In a statement from the unnamed owner of the sandwich franchise to police, they explained that Johnson was hired as the manager in October of 2024. Her role, court papers say, involved her being responsible for logging new shipments of food, general supervision and managing the restaurant. The owner said in the warrants that shortly after hiring Johnson she then hired her husband, Dorvil, as an employee and her son, identified as Zahir Johnson-Campbell, but she failed to notify the owner that the two were her immediate family members. In March of this year the owner told police that they noticed a shortage in the restaurant's food inventory and starting probing the discrepancies. According to cops, the duo would hid the packages of items in trash bags and place them in a freezer - before walking them out the back door of the store into a waiting car. Other times they didn't even conceal the items they were taking, it is alleged, loading up trash bags stuffed with food into an awaiting SUV in view of security cameras, the documents said. The owner reviewed the footage and compared it with records of shipments received by the restaurant. The owner also told police that the main item being sold on the truck, a Philly cheesesteak, was made up of food items belonging to the business, particularly the bread used on the truck. The legal documents say that the owner was able to identify the specific bread used by Capriotti's - which they say is exclusive to the brand - being used on the food truck, seen here 'This particular item is one of Capriotti's most popular menu items and is a key part of their business strategy. '[The owner] advised that the particular bread used in the sandwiches is a proprietary recipe for the Capriotti's franchise, and cannot be purchased or obtained by anyone other than a Capriotti's restaurant', the legal document adds. The owner also told officers that they positively identified Johnson and Dorvil as the people seen in social media posts operating the food truck, according to the warrants. In March of this year the owner contacted Johnson and told her to appear for a meeting at the company's office to discuss the food shortages, which she never attended, the warrants said. The owner also told police that Johnson never appeared back at the restaurant or collected her final paycheck. Besides the alleged comped meals and stolen food, the owner claims in the document that Johnson's time cards indicate that she was paid for 245 hours that she didn't work, totaling $11,000. The owner estimated that the total amount stolen from the business across the missing food, comped meals and hours worked totaled $30,918. In Lee's review of the place, he said in a video shared to their social media that the cheesesteak 'the best Philly cheesesteak' he'd ate in a long time, he said. Lee, who boasts nearly 17 million followers on TikTok, has made a success of himself by sharing videos in which he tries and reviews food around the world. After their arrests in May, Johnson's daughter Damirah started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the food truck. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deb's Philly Cheesesteaks (@debsphillys) According to the fundraiser, the food truck was seized. She said: ' On Friday May 16 we ran into some unfortunate circumstances that were beyond our control, leading to an emergency situation that has caused us to lose everything in our food truck and the truck itself. 'Any support to help us get back on our feet and running is deeply appreciated. we are in need of any donations to contribute to food and equipment loss. 'Please help us get back on our feet so we can continue to serve our community with great and authentic food we all love.' Damirah is hoping to raise $12,000 in the fundraiser, which has so far only gained $195 from donators. In an arrest report from Plantation Police Department, officers say they pulled the couple over in a U-Haul truck that was towing their food trailer. After both being placed under arrest officers said in their report that they found two firearms inside the food truck prior to it being towed away. In a complaint filed by both Johnson and Dorvil just a few months before the allegations, the couple claimed that the Capriotti's franchise had failed to pay them their full wages. The filing said that the restaurant had 'knowingly and willfully' refused to pay their wages. Johnson claimed she was $14,138 out of pocket while Dorvil claimed that his unpaid wages had amounted to $767. According to Broward County Jail records Johnson is currently being held inside the Paul Rein Detention Facility on a charge of grand theft in excess of $20,000. Dorvil is being held inside the Joseph V. Conte Facility on a charge of grand theft in excess of $10,000 but less than $20,000. They are both being held on a $40,000 bond and are both listed as pending trial.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Massachusetts school food director charged with stealing funds to purchase 'lobster' and 'premium hamburgers'
A Massachusetts cafeteria director has been accused of using federal funds to supply his Cape Cod restaurant with expensive food and equipment. Patrick VanCott, 62, was charged with larceny for allegedly ordering premium meats, including lobster, to resell at his own business, the Snack Shack at Sandy Neck Beach. The Plymouth County District Attorney's office said VanCott used his position as Plymouth Public Schools food services director to order supplies for his restaurant using federal funds over the years. '[VanCott] has been arraigned on charges that for a number of years he stole food, cafeteria equipment and paper goods from Plymouth Public Schools,' the DA's office said. The investigation began on May 30 when police received an anonymous letter alleging criminal activity at the Plymouth Community Intermediate School. 'The letter alleged that a person had been stealing commercial equipment and food products from the school,' the DA's office said. 'As Director, VanCott was the sole person with the authority to place orders for the cafeteria. 'VanCott's food orders consisted of premium Angus hamburgers, hot dogs, lobster meat, and other food products that were not served to students or school staff.' Video obtained by the DA's office allegedly showing VanCott taking two under-the-counter commercial refrigerators from the school on April 4. 'Surveillance video shows VanCott at the school on a Saturday loading one of the refrigerators onto a town truck and departing. 'VanCott then returned to the school in his personal pickup truck and loaded the second refrigerator into his own vehicle. Investigators alleged that for years, VanCott would have workers slice deli meat for him once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 'VanCott ordered cafeteria employees to slice two bags of deli turkey and one bag of ham, place them in a box inside the refrigerator with the initials 'PVC' written on them. 'Others reporter to investigators they witnessed VanCott take condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee and other items from the kitchen.' Prosecutors claimed VanCott purchased $8,300 worth of goods that were not in the schools storage facility, including a $1,700 refrigerate sandwich table and a $1,700 under-counter freezer. On June 4, police executed a search warrant at the Snack Shake and located a 28-foot industrial-sized refrigerator, bins, government issued food, a coffee maker, blackboards and other ideas. VanCott was arrested and charged with Larceny Over $1,200 by a Single Scheme and Larceny from a Building. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to held on $50,000 cash bail. His defense attorney argued the number was too high, reported WHDH. 'The value of the items alleged to be taken is far disconnected from the bail the commonwealth is asking for,' said defense attorney Evan Paul. VanCott's next court appearance is scheduled for July 21.
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
'I'm hungry. Cannot meh?!' — Stranger who snatched toast and walked away from diner at Toast Box asks
Photo: Toast Box FB SINGAPORE: A diner patronising the Toast Box outlet at Jurong Point was left speechless after a stranger snatched food off her tray. The diner told citizen journalism portal Stomp that the incident took place on Sunday afternoon (June 1), around 12:30 p.m. She said, 'This auntie sat at the table next to my family for quite some time. She didn't order anything to eat or drink. Then suddenly, she stood up, stretched her hands across to our table, snatched a piece of our peanut toast, ate it, and walked away!' The diner added, 'We were too shocked to react.' Interestingly, the family bumped into the same woman at the same outlet looking for another target, around the same time the next day. The diner decided to confront the woman and demanded an explanation from the stranger for her behaviour. Instead of apologising or expressing remorse, the woman allegedly shouted, 'I am hungry and I want to eat! Cannot meh?!' The diner urged Singaporeans to beware of such individuals. She added, 'Her hands are so fast! … much faster than crows snatching food!'
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
How to tell if a seagull is going to steal your food
A seagull eyeing your lunch or ice cream is unlikely to try to steal it if not part of a flock, scientists have found. Due to an instinct known as neophobia, which means a fear of the unknown, scientists have discovered that herring gulls are mostly reluctant to attack when on their own. But, according to researchers at Ghent University, this fear diminishes when seagulls are part of a flock – potentially putting your food at greater risk. In a study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, scientists carried out experiments involving a group of 54 seagulls they had reared from hatching. In order to gauge how quickly the gulls would take to approach their food if faced with an unfamiliar object nearby, the scientists placed a range of items – a multicoloured ball, a bucket, brush, folder and jerrycan – next to the gulls' food supply. Some of these objects were familiar to the birds and others were new to them. They found that, when alone, the gulls took an average of 9.81 seconds to approach their food bowl when faced with an unfamiliar object – compared with just 3.52 seconds when in a group. Notably, 24 of the gulls did not eat at all when alone and faced with an unfamiliar object. The scientists also found that the birds were willing to spend more time near their food when in a group than those on their own. Lone gulls spent an average of just 38.8 seconds near their food, compared with 111.8 seconds when in a group – while 16 birds did not approach their food at all. The study states: 'Individuals tested in groups were quicker to eat and spent more time near a novel object than individuals tested alone. 'The results of our study suggest that the presence of group members reduces perceived individual risk, allowing individuals to behave less cautiously.' Noting that 'each bird likely perceives the risk to be shared by the group', the authors said their findings were consistent with previous studies showing that social animals often rely on the presence of the group to make quicker decisions and engage in potentially risky situations. An accompanying release from the Royal Society added: 'When confronted by a gull after your chips it might be best to catch them one-on-one.' While there may be some comfort in the findings that a lone seagull could pose less of a threat of theft, a previous study has suggested that gulls actually prefer food that they have seen being handled by humans, as opposed to food left lying unattended. Although in a further possible line of defence, an earlier study suggested that staring at a seagull could help to deter it from trying to take your food. Scientists at the University of Exeter found that gulls took an average of 21 seconds longer to approach a bag of chips if they could see they were being watched, with just 27 out of 74 birds observed being too cautious to take a chip when a human was nearby.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Why a flock of seagulls will steal your lunch — but a lone gull won't act on its own
A seagull eyeing your lunch or ice cream is unlikely to try to steal it if not part of a flock, scientists have found. Due to an instinct known as neophobia, which means a fear of the unknown, scientists have discovered that herring gulls are mostly reluctant to attack when on their own. But, according to researchers at Ghent University, this fear diminishes when seagulls are part of a flock – potentially putting your food at greater risk. In a study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, scientists carried out experiments involving a group of 54 seagulls they had reared from hatching. In order to gauge how quickly the gulls would take to approach their food if faced with an unfamiliar object nearby, the scientists placed a range of items – a multicoloured ball, a bucket, brush, folder and jerrycan – next to the gulls' food supply. Some of these objects were familiar to the birds and others were new to them. They found that, when alone, the gulls took an average of 9.81 seconds to approach their food bowl when faced with an unfamiliar object – compared with just 3.52 seconds when in a group. Notably, 24 of the gulls did not eat at all when alone and faced with an unfamiliar object. The scientists also found that the birds were willing to spend more time near their food when in a group than those on their own. Lone gulls spent an average of just 38.8 seconds near their food, compared with 111.8 seconds when in a group – while 16 birds did not approach their food at all. The study states: 'Individuals tested in groups were quicker to eat and spent more time near a novel object than individuals tested alone. 'The results of our study suggest that the presence of group members reduces perceived individual risk, allowing individuals to behave less cautiously.' Noting that 'each bird likely perceives the risk to be shared by the group', the authors said their findings were consistent with previous studies showing that social animals often rely on the presence of the group to make quicker decisions and engage in potentially risky situations. An accompanying release from the Royal Society added: 'When confronted by a gull after your chips it might be best to catch them one-on-one.' While there may be some comfort in the findings that a lone seagull could pose less of a threat of theft, a previous study has suggested that gulls actually prefer food that they have seen being handled by humans, as opposed to food left lying unattended. Although in a further possible line of defence, an earlier study suggested that staring at a seagull could help to deter it from trying to take your food. Scientists at the University of Exeter found that gulls took an average of 21 seconds longer to approach a bag of chips if they could see they were being watched, with just 27 out of 74 birds observed being too cautious to take a chip when a human was nearby.
