Woman sentenced to 80 months for shoplifting

A Gaffney woman was sentenced to 80 months in prison for her 8th shoplifting offense.

Circuit Court Judge Doyet A. Early sentenced Christa Monique Brown, 37, of Gaffney after she pleaded guilty to enhanced property crimes (3rd or subsequent offense shoplifting).

Brown's codefendant in the case is her mother Dorothy Lee Brown, 57, of Gaffney, who is also charged with enhanced property crimes.

Defense attorney Thomas Shealy told the judge that his client had a severe crack cocaine addiction.

He also said Christa Brown learned the shoplifting behavior from her mother.

They are accused of stealing $94 worth of beauty items from Buford Street Drug Store in May, according to an incident report at the Gaffney Police Department.

"This is (Christa Brown's) eighth shoplifting offense since 2000," Seventh Circuit Asst. Solicitor Michael Morin told the court.

Morin said he hopes the stiff sentence in this case will send a message to other people who might consider shoplifting.

As part of the trial, Early took time to discuss the case with jurors seated in the courtroom.

"Probably 80 percent of what we do in the court is drug-related," he said. "And probably 50 percent of that is related to crack cocaine."