Serial shoplifter Shaquan Seth freed on bail-exempt charges after latest Target theft

Shaquan Seth, a 40-year-old repeat offender with roughly 150 prior arrests, was taken into custody for five new thefts in Queens after being released from Rikers Island six days earlier. The alleged offenses, occurring from June 17 to August 5, include a Target store robbery where he allegedly took $600 in candles and threatened a young female employee without displaying a weapon. Because New York law prohibits setting bail for non-violent crimes such as petty larceny and burglary, a judge ordered his release on the same day the charges were filed.

Seth’s criminal history stretches back to 2009 and includes numerous felonies, as well as two prior shootings in which he was injured. He was briefly hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation before being arraigned on the new counts. The Queens District Attorney’s Office stated the new charges are not eligible for bail, leaving him free pending trial.