A 47-year-old former Lowe’s employee was arrested after he was accused of stealing over $800 worth of merchandise from a store in Ocala.
On Wednesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the Lowe’s home improvement store located at 7575 SW 90th Street in Ocala in reference to a grand theft incident.
Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a loss prevention associate who advised that a former employee, identified as Vej Anand Henry, had stolen from the business on multiple occasions from September 8, 2023 through October 3, 2023, according to the arrest report.
The loss prevention associate advised that Henry would fill a shopping cart with assorted items from the business during the course of his work hours, and he would then exit the store with the shopping cart at the end of his shift. The associate stated that Henry made no attempt to pay for the merchandise, and he would then load the items into his personal vehicle prior to leaving the business, according to the report.
The thefts occurred on September 8, September 9, September 15, September 17, September 28, and October 3, according to the loss prevention associate’s statement. The deputy noted in the report that a total of $855 worth of merchandise was stolen from the business on these dates.
On October 10, the loss prevention associate confronted Henry at the incident location, and he admitted to stealing from the business. He then provided a written statement which stated that he had been “stealing over the course of several months,” according to the report.
Henry estimated in the written statement that he had stolen “$800 or more of merchandise” from the business during that time.
The deputy observed the store’s video surveillance footage from each of the previously mentioned dates, and the deputy noted that the footage corroborated the loss prevention associate’s statement.
Henry was arrested on October 11, and he was transported to Marion County Jail. He was released the same day on $2,000 bond, and he is facing a felony charge for grand theft over $750 but less than $5,000.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.