RALEIGH, N.C., April 2 (UPI) -- A 41-year-old woman in Raleigh, N.C., is guilty of stealing nearly $4,000 worth of DVDs from a Wal-Mart along with the help of her two daughters, a jury says.
A Wake Superior Court jury convicted Cheryl Mozingo Dexter on a felony charge of larceny, which holds a maximum sentence of 10 months, for the shoplifting trip she allegedly took with her daughters, Heather, 22, and Nicky, 24, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer said Thursday.
The mother-daughter trio was accused of stealing more than 200 DVDs from a Wal-Mart in Holly Springs, N.C., in March 2008.
Court records indicate all three women had prior convictions on larceny and shoplifting charges.
Heather Dexter has already pleaded guilty to a related charge in the theft case while her sister is awaiting trial.
Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue told the News & Observer it was "unfortunate" to see a parent apparently pass along such problematic behaviors as shoplifting to their children.
"It's unfortunate," Sughrue said. "But the passing down of criminal behavior from parent to child is not a new phenomenon. Obviously, it perpetuates something that can lead children into some of the same problems their parents have had."
