Bodycam footage is shining an unflattering spotlight on a pair of reality-TV veterans in Boca Raton, where police say a months-long grocery scam was hiding in plain sight at a neighborhood Publix. Petrus "Peet" Viljoen and Melany Viljoen, who appeared on The Real Housewives of Pretoria, were pulled over on March 10 in a black Range Rover and later booked on aggravated grand retail theft charges after investigators accused them of stealing thousands of dollars in groceries from the store over several months.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by WPBF, detectives went transaction by transaction through the couple's Publix visits. They say they examined 52 purchases and found 392 items that were never properly scanned, with 369 of those allegedly caught on store video. The total tab for the missing goods came to $5,302.17. The affidavit lists transactions between Aug. 29, 2025, and Feb. 8, 2026, and notes that everything from sparkling water and prosecco to everyday pantry staples was allegedly slipped through unpaid.
How investigators say the scheme worked
Boca Raton police say the operation was not exactly a criminal mastermind plot, but it was persistent. According to reporting by WPTV, the couple allegedly used a tactic known as "ticket switching" at self-checkout. Investigators say the pair repeatedly swapped price tags or scanned cheaper barcodes while tucking small seasoning packets under higher-priced items so the system would only register the less expensive product.
The affidavit further alleges that Peet would sometimes distract store employees while Melany ran items through the self-checkout, skipping scans on dozens of products. Store analytics eventually flagged the suspicious pattern, prompting a deeper investigation and review of security footage.
Traffic stop, bodycam and custody
The investigation came to a head on March 10 during a traffic stop, when officers pulled over the couple and turned on their body-worn cameras. That video is now part of local coverage of the arrests, according to WBAL. Jail records cited in that report state that after their arrests, both were transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Those records list Melany as being held at the Broward Transitional Center, while Petrus is noted at the Florida Soft Side South facility, a detention site sometimes referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz."
Charges and bond
The Viljoens were initially booked into the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center on aggravated grand retail theft charges, according to Local 10. Each was assigned a $10,000 bond.
Prosecutors have identified nearly 400 allegedly unpaid items tied to the case, and authorities say the investigation is still active. As of now, officials have not announced any court dates.
Who the Viljoens are
Before their run-in with Boca Raton police, the Viljoens were best known in South Africa's reality-TV orbit. They appeared on The Real Housewives of Pretoria and later joined the South African edition of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, according to background coverage.
The couple moved to the United States last year following prior business and legal controversies linked to their Tammy Taylor Nails franchising operations, as reported by IOL. There has been no immediate public comment from the Viljoens or any representatives in response to the latest allegations.
