Cocaine Bust Ends Shoplifting Call

WARWICK, RI — Officers called for a shoplifting report at Kohl’s made a fentanyl and cocaine bust instead April 7 at 3:36 p.m.

Warwick Police were called to the 650 Bald Hill Road department store by a store employee who explained a suspicious man had been spotted concealing items and had taken the merchandise into a changing room, according to the report of Officer Maxwell Neilly.

The employee pointed Neilly to the suspected shoplifter’s changing room, and the officer announced himself and asked the man to open the door, according to Neilly’s report.

The man, identified as Cory L. Laberge, 42, of 74 Mcaloon St., Pawtucket, RI, opened the door, revealing himself in the process of transferring Kohl’s merchandise into a separate bag he had brought into the store, according to the officer’s report. Neilly placed him in handcuffs and questioned him about his time in the store.

The store employee confirmed Laberge was the man they had seen concealing items in his reusable shopping bag. She said he had entered the store and then rapidly put sweatshirts and a pair of sneakers into the shopping bag he had brought with him.  Laberge said he had only been placing the items into his bag to buy later.

Ultimately, Neilly determined that since Laberge had not attempted to leave the store without paying for the clothes and shoes, no shoplifting charge was justified. But a background check revealed Laberge was wanted on a Sixth District Court warrant for failure to appear, and Neilly arrested him on that warrant.

A search prior to the arrest turned up two clear bags containing white powder in Laberge’s possession, which, when asked, after being read his Miranda rights, Laberge told Neilly contained cocaine.

Neilly seized the bags and transported Laberge to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he was processed for the warrant and tests were run on the substance in the bags for the potential cocaine bust.

One bag tested positive for cocaine, 1.3 grams and the other tested positive for fentanyl, 1.2 grams, according to Neilly’s report. Neilly charged Laberge with possession of cocaine and fentanyl.