Mother of Teen at Center of Tullytown Taser Controversy Pleads Guilty in Shoplifting Case


The woman who came into the spotlight after her son was bloodied and bruised following an incident where he ran away from police after shoplifting last year plead guilty to her own set of shoplifting charges recently.

Marissa  Sargent gasps as she spots the media at a downtown lawyers office in fall of 2013.  Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Marissa Sargent gasps as she spots the media at a downtown lawyers office in fall of 2013.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

Marissa Sargeant, 32, of Bristol Township, issued a guilty plea recently on charges of retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft. Judge Jeffrey Finley sentenced Sargeant to a maximum of 23 months in prison with credit for time served already. Court papers state Sargeant had a detainer to take care, however, it is unclear as of press time where the detainer is out of.

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Walmart loss prevention officer Brandon Pappalardo testified at a preliminary hearing in spring Sargeant and another woman charged in the case failed to scan multiple pieces of merchandise and then bagged them as if they had earlier in the year. 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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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.

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