Thanks to a viral online video that inspired a community tip, the Union County Sheriff’s Office has been able to issue arrest warrants for two people caught shoplifting at the Blairsville Pickers Barn.
The alleged criminal activity occurred around 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.
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Two non-residents – subsequently identified as married couple Joseph Taaffe, 62, and Jennifer Taaffe, 54 – were browsing the indoor mall when they entered an area with a camera overlooking a vendor’s merchandise, according to UCSO Lt. Dustin Walker.
Motion picked up by the camera alerted the vendor to their presence at his shopping stall, and he immediately began viewing the live feed, a recording of which was later uploaded to the Pickers Barn Facebook page and viewed by more than 1.4 million people.
The entire episode played out in under a minute. Within seconds, the now locally famous couple had their sights set on a canvas cartridge belt priced at around $20; the man even tried the belt on briefly before slipping it into his wife’s bag that she was holding open, as seen in the video.
Five seconds later, the vendor remotely triggered a loud alarm, prompting the man to look directly into the camera before swiftly exiting with his wife.
The vendor filed a report with the Sheriff’s Office the very next morning, after which the Pickers Barn posted a video clip of the theft to Facebook, seeking information about the couple and promising to “prosecute to the FULLEST extent of the law.”
Another local business owner saw the post and recognized the pair as having visited their establishment in recent days. Fortunately, the business owner had information that identified the woman and turned it over to UCSO, which led Lt. Walker to be able to identify her partner.
During his investigation, Walker learned that the Taaffes’ last known address was listed as being near Tampa, Florida, but most recently, they appeared to have been staying at a campground in neighboring Cherokee County, North Carolina.
However, they left the area after the incident. Flock Safety license-plate reading cameras helped shore up the case by verifying that their vehicle was indeed in Union County when the shoplifting occurred, and Flock spotted the same vehicle traveling in Ohio a week later.
Lt. Walker said the Taaffes will show up as wanted out of Union County the next time they are confronted by law enforcement anywhere in the nation.
And though the alleged offense is only a misdemeanor, Lt. Walker said the Sheriff’s Office seeks justice for all residents, regardless of the severity of a crime.
“It doesn’t matter how big or little the value of something is,” Walker said. “This is somebody’s livelihood, and for people to come in and steal from them – it’s just not right, and we’re going to hold these people accountable for it.”
All individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
The Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the community tip that led to a successful investigation and invites all residents to call 706-439-6066 anytime they have information about suspected criminal activity. Tipsters can remain anonymous if they choose.
“We’re glad that we have such a good working relationship with our businesses, with our community, that they trust us enough to come to us with this information and know we’re going to take care of it,” Lt. Walker said.
