By Dan Murphy
Some crimes in Westchester make you want to scratch your head and ask, did they really think they were going to get away with it?
The Croton on Hudson Police Department issued the following release on March 3. “The Croton on Hudson Police Department announced the arrest of Laura Picozzzi, 33, of Fishkill.
“In January, the Croton on Hudson Police Department was notified by ShopRite that 151 Gift Cards totalling approximately $64,1000 were stolen from the store, located at 460 South Riverside Avenue. The case was assigned to the detective division. ShopRite loss prevention officers were able to identify the suspect as Ms. Picozzi, a former ShopRite employee.
“On January 30, 2025, detectives responded to the home of Ms. Picozzi, where she was placed under arrest and transported to Police Headquarters. Ms. Picozzi was arraigned at the Village of Croton on Hudson Justice Court, and released on her own recognizance.”
Picozzi was a former employee, so she was somehow able to activate the gift cards. Several questions on social media asked how she was able to do so.
Our question to Ms. Picozzi is how did you think you were going to get away with it? 151 missing gift cards probably tirggered a warning to the managers and district managers at ShopRite.
Video at the store also helped point the finger at Picozzi. And many gift cards are now traceable, so whoever spending a stolen gift card might get busted.
We need to verify the specific charge but in New York State, Grand Larceny in the Second Degree is a felony, whereby the theft exceeds $50,000 but is not more than $1 million in value.
Because of the value, the case will end up in White Plains in County Court.
