Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The 32-year-old woman who brought a firestorm of controversy to Tullytown last year had her preliminary hearing on shoplifting charges Tuesday morning.
Marissa Sargeant, 32, of Bristol Township, was dressed in a red prison jumpsuit and a jacket during her hearing before District Judge Robert Wagner Jr.
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Walmart loss prevention officer Brandon Pappalardo testified Sargeant and another woman charged in the case failed to scan multiple pieces of merchandise and then bagged them as if they had. He added the duo did pay for some items and used a welfare card to purchase the items.
The loss prevention officer said Sargeant let the other woman exit the store with the shopping cart with $107.30 of stolen goods while she bought cigarettes.
The two women were detained and arrested shortly after by Tullytown officers.
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Wagner forwarded charges of felony retail theft, receiving stolen property and two counts of conspiracy onto Doylestown. The 32-year-old remains in prison unable to post bail.
Sargeant was represented by public defender Nicholas Williamson.
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In the fall, Sargeant lead a push on social media and later with the help of two Philadelphia-based private investigators to allege Tullytown police assaulted her son as he was being pursued on Route 13 after he was arrested with his 19-year-old uncle on retail theft charges. The charges stemmed from an alleged theft at the Levittown Walmart. After a firestorm of media attention and a scantily-attended rally against Tullytown police, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler cleared police of any wrongdoing in the November 2013 incident.
According to court records, Sargeant has a spotted past with local police. She was arrested and convicted of simple assault and a related offenses in one case and retail theft in another 2010 case, both were out of Bristol Township. The 32-year-old was also convicted of DUI after an incident in Upper Moreland, Montgomery County several years back. In total, police report she has been convicted of retail theft three times before.
Related:
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- EXCLUSIVE: Tasered Teen Wasn’t Locked in Police Car, DA Says; Rally Organizers Meet with Officials
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