GREENFIELD — An employee of BJ’s Wholesale Club is being charged with three counts of larceny over $250 for stealing a total of $1,468 in video games, men’s cologne and women’s perfume.
Jesse Phillips, 37, of Charlemont was arraigned in Greenfield District Court Friday following an investigation by Greenfield Police Officer Laura Gordon going back to January.
According to Gordon’s report, she responded to BJ’s on Jan. 16 after Heather Bertera, operations manager at BJ’s, contacted police. Bertera said Phillips had been caught on video surveillance footage stealing a total of 17 Xbox and Playstation 4 games and 14 bottles of men’s cologne and women’s perfume during December and January.
Phillips, in his own report, claimed he had gone to the store’s general manager for a cash advance to pay for his 9-year-old daughter’s medical bills. He said his daughter was “going through a difficult time with a skin problem,” according to Gordon’s report.
Phillips wrote in his report that his daughter’s condition continued to get worse until one of her eyes was completely swollen and leaking pus.
He claimed the general manager denied him a cash advance; however, Gordon’s report states the general manager had told Bertera that Phillips had never indicated he was having problems affording medical treatment for his daughter.
According to Gordon’s report, Phillips admitted to stealing all the items.
“Mr. Phillips wrote he understood this is a serious offense which he sincerely regrets,” Gordon’s report reads, referencing Phillips’ report.
Phillips was arraigned Friday in Greenfield District Court and advised of his potential for bail revocation. He will return to court for a pretrial conference on May 25.