A man walked into the 7-Eleven at 473 West Broadway in South Boston, grabbed a coffee and a snack, and walked right back out without paying — and police say it wasn't the first time he'd pulled that move. Now Boston Police are asking the public to help identify him after surveillance cameras caught him in the act.
According to Boston 25 News, officers responded to a larceny report on West Broadway shortly after 12:30 p.m. on August 5. The store's victim told police the man had taken a coffee and a snack without paying and reported that he had done the same thing on several previous occasions, per police. Police are investigating the reported larceny and are hoping someone recognizes the man caught on camera.
The convenience store is at 473 West Broadway, according to Universal Hub, while Boston Police District C-6's station house is at 101 West Broadway, according to the City of Boston. District C-6 serves as South Boston's primary police station, per the City of Boston.
The Current Investigation
The article also references earlier incidents at the store, but the provided sources do not verify their details.
The repeated small-scale thefts raise a familiar enforcement puzzle for Massachusetts prosecutors. Under state law, shoplifting merchandise valued under $250 is generally treated as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $250 for a first offense, with jail time only authorized starting with a third or subsequent conviction, according to the Serpa Law Office. More broadly, theft of property valued at $1,200 or less is misdemeanor larceny carrying up to a year in jail, while anything above that threshold becomes felony larceny punishable by up to five years in state prison, per the Law Office of Frank D. Camera and Associates.
Why Small Thefts Rarely Become Felonies
That $1,200 line didn't always sit so high. Massachusetts raised its felony larceny threshold from just $250 to $1,200 after the state's 2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act, according to Ellison Law LLC. The $1,200 threshold distinguishes misdemeanor from felony larceny under the law described above.
The provided sources do not document a separate example of Suffolk County prosecutors pursuing a tougher outcome for a repeat theft offender.
How to Help Police Identify the Suspect
Boston Police are asking anyone with information to call police or submit a tip through the department's CrimeStoppers program, which accepts anonymous tips by phone at 1-800-494-TIPS, by text using the word TIP to 27463, or online through the Boston Police CrimeStoppers website. The program also allows community members to anonymously submit surveillance photos and video clips through its online and mobile app channels, according to the Boston Police Department.
District C-6's station house is at 101 West Broadway, according to the City of Boston. For now, the identity of the man seen repeatedly walking out of the West Broadway 7-Eleven with unpaid coffee and snacks remains an open question police are hoping the public can help answer.
