A Democrat state lawmaker from Connecticut was arrested and charged for allegedly shoplifting at Target.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat from Bethel, faces a misdemeanor summons for 6th-degree larceny for failing to scan items at the self-checkout.

Connecticut lawmaker busted for shoplifting at Target https://t.co/iUH7bdY2Ef

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 25, 2025

Per CT Mirror:

A Bethel police summary of his arrest stated Allie-Brennan was detained by Target loss prevention personnel who told police they recognized him from “previous unreported larcenies.”

He was arrested after police reviewed security video showing him attempting to leave the store with $26.69 in unpaid merchandise, police said. The summary provided no further details.

Allie-Brennan, 33, a four-term lawmaker first elected in 2018, did not respond to a request for comment beyond his statement on social media, which did not directly address the accusation of previous thefts.

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“During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned. I was in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital, the store didn’t have bags, and I was juggling multiple purchases. While I do not have a record, I take full responsibility for the error and am working through the legal processes to resolve the matter quickly and respectfully,” Allie-Brennan said on Facebook.

“I respect the law and Target’s right to enforce their loss prevention policy, and I remain committed to serving my community with transparency and integrity,” he added.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, D-Bethel, said Tuesday on social media that his arrest on a shoplifting charge Monday evening was due to his failure to scan two items as he used the self-checkout at a Target store in Bethel.https://t.co/3rw3Txgwxu

— Hartford Business (@HartfordBiz) June 25, 2025

Patch reports:

On his Facebook page, nearly 100 comments have quickly poured in with a wide spectrum of feedback, but many people posted a message of support.

“An honest mistake anyone could make! A true leader takes accountability just like this, thank you for setting an example! Keeping your grandmother in our thoughts,” one person wrote.

While another person said, “It happens to the best of us when we are frazzled. The main thing is you admit it and you’re going to resolve the issue. Not everyone in a government position is as transparent as you are. Knowing you I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

Several commenters on his Facebook post took issue with self-checkout machines in general.