When Does Extreme Couponing Become A Crime?

Everything is so expensive in Florida that the only ways to afford anything are coupons and crime.  The problems begin when reasonable minds disagree about when coupon shopping becomes a crime.  Florida law recognizes the criminal offense of coupon frauds when a customer knowingly attempts to redeem fraudulent coupons or counterfeits coupons and distributes them to consumers to redeem at stores.  A single coupon removes, at most, a few dollars from the purchase price of an item, and if you try to redeem a coupon for cash, its value is a fraction of a cent.  The big criminal charges come when coupon fraud is part of a larger conspiracy that goes on long enough to cause retailers or product manufacturers to incur thousands of dollars, or even more, in financial losses.  If you are facing criminal charges for coupon fraud, contact a West Palm Beach white collar crime lawyer.

Teen Charged With Coupon Fraud Conspiracy Gets World’s Sweetest Plea Deal

Kindness is in short supply in today’s world, so when a cashier barely old enough for adult financial responsibilities helped a retiree save more money on his grocery haul than the face value of the coupons indicated, it first seemed like the appropriate response would simply be to smile.  One day when Len Roitman, 69, paid for his purchases at the self-checkout line of a BJ’s store, the employee who helped him approve the coupons he was using was Justice Buonsante, 19.  Out of the kindness of her heart, Buonsante keyed in the coupons so that they discounted more money off the price than they indicated.

Roitman sought out Buonsante the next 78 times he shopped at BJ’s, and Buonsante always supersized his discounts.  Over six months, he had saved $63,000 on his purchases.  Buonsante received nothing for her trouble except Roitman’s gratitude.  After store management reviewed the store’s accounts and discovered Buonsante’s activities, she was arrested and charged with coupon fraud conspiracy.

Because of Buonsante’s age and lack of criminal record, prosecutors admitted her to a pretrial diversion program, where she must comply with conditions similar to those of being on probation.  If she completes the program successfully, the state will drop all the charges against her.  Roitman has not yet faced any criminal charges, but since he knowingly participated in the scheme, he probably will, especially since prosecutors allege that some of the coupons he presented to Buonsante were fake.  One of the conditions of Buonsante’s pretrial diversion is that she must agree to testify against him before a grand jury if he is indicted, and she must testify against him at a jury trial if he is charged and pleads not guilty.

If you get charged with a crime and do not have a criminal record, ask your lawyer to help you enter a pretrial diversion program.

Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Attorney William Wallshein has more than 38 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County.  Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.

Source:

couponsinthenews.com/2023/09/14/bjs-cashier-ordered-to-repay-thousands-in-coupon-fraud-case/