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The Fairfield County incident took place on Monday, April 29 in Darien.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. that day at the Darien Stop & Shop, located at 25 Old Kings Highway North, 45-year-old Joseph Macdonald reportedly left the store with a loaded shopping card, saying he had forgotten his wallet in the car.
An employee reported Macdonald to the Darien Police Department, who arrived on the scene to find Macdonald walking up to a black Mercedes with a driver and another passenger. Police said the license plate did not match the make of the car.
The driver of the car, 37-year-old Joseph Pellot, allegedly told officers he was there to drive passengers to and from the store.
According to the Darien Police, it was soon discovered that Pellot had been hired to drive two passengers — Macdonald and Janet Laperriere, age 36 — to stores across the state for shoplifting.
Furthermore, Pellot admitted that there were many groceries in the car’s trunk, including steaks and lobsters.
In all, the trio stole over $600 worth of goods from the Darien Stop & Shop, police said.
Pellot, Macdonald, and Laperriere (all from Waterbury in New Haven County) were all charged with:
- Larceny;
- Possession of a controlled substance; and
- Use of drug paraphernalia.
Pellot faces additional charges for improper use of a marker plate, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
Laperrier and Pellot were released after paying a portion of their bond; Macdonald was turned over to another agency on an active arrest warrant.
All three are due in court on Thursday, May 9.
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