A career shoplifter in Florida known for stealing designer merchandise was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she was convicted of a brazen heist at Sunglass Hut two years ago.
Ernesha Atmore, who had been in and out of prison for stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, faced stiffer penalties due to Florida’s recent crackdown on retail crimes.
Despite being offered a three-year deal, she rejected it and chose to go to trial, leading to an extraordinary prison sentence for what was once considered a petty crime.
As a repeat offender, however, Atmore, 29, faced stiffer penalties under Florida’s newest crackdown on retail thefts, making her eligible for three decades behind bars after a jury found her guilty of stealing $20,000 worth of designer sunglasses from Apple International Plaza in Tampa.
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said the 2022 heist at Sunglass Hut was caught on video, and became the decisive factor in ending Atmore’s criminal career.
“She committed one of the most brazen thefts I’ve heard of,” Lopez said. “She went into a Sunglass Hut at International Plaza and had a soft-sided cooler, and she just scooped up about $20,000 in designer sunglasses.”
Video of the incident shows Atmore casually walking through the store, yanking multiple pairs of sunglasses off the shelves with impunity, and placing them into her bag in full view of cameras, and other customers and employees.
When confronted, Atmore threatened store employees with a Taser, Lopez said.
“When the employee said, ‘What are you doing,’ she said, ‘I have a Taser.’ And, as you know, a Taser is a weapon.”
Authorities caught up with Atmore a few days later and arrested her.
Soon they discovered a trove of stolen goods in her car.
In recent years, the Florida Legislature has taken aim at retail thefts, elevating charges from misdemeanors to felonies and lengthening prison sentences for those convicted.
Previously, Atmore was charged in two other theft cases that were still pending at the time she was apprehended. One of those cases involved an attempt to steal an $8,000 ring from the Zales jewelry store at the Town Center Mall in nearby Brandon.
The judge settled those cases as well and extended Atmore’s 30-year sentence by an additional six months.
All told, Atmore won’t get out of prison until she’s nearly 60 years old.
