Alleged Shoplifter Attempts To Sell Louis Vuitton Wallet Back To The Thrift Store She Stole It From

Kristen Hull, the owner of the thrift and consignment store The Rainbow Fleet on Orange Street, was more than a little shocked at the item a customer brought in hoping to sell.

The woman had a vintage Louis Vuitton wallet that she was looking to sell for upwards of $300. The only problem? It was the same vintage Louis Vuitton wallet that had been stolen from The Rainbow Fleet last July.

“I just could not believe the brazenness of stealing something and then trying to sell it back to the person you stole it from,” she said.

After she had the wallet and the women’s consignment paperwork, Hull told her that she had video footage of the theft last July, and that she would be contacting the Nantucket Police Department. At first, the woman - who was in the shop with her husband - denied stealing the item and claimed it had been given to her by someone else.

“I told them that we could go over the video footage from last summer together with a police officer or they could leave and never come back,” Hull said. “They chose option two and left calmly.”

Hull said the video footage was clear but not decisive enough to hold up in court to prove the woman had taken the wallet because the view was partially obstructed by other merchandise, which was why she didn’t pursue it last July.

But after the interaction with the woman earlier this week, Hull contacted Nantucket Police to file a no trespass order against her. Officers asked if she wanted to press charges, but she declined.

The woman, who lives on Jefferson Avenue on Nantucket, was later served by police officers with the no trespass order. Hull said since she declined to press charges, she did not want to name the woman, but hoped the story served as a warning to fellow shop owners around the island to be on the lookout for shoplifters.