COURTHOUSE PA July 6 2013— A Montgomery County judge sentenced a Philadelphia man to prison Friday in connection with a 2011 theft at Macy’s department store in King of Prussia.
Michael L. Pigford, 26, of the 2700 block of North Bonsall Street, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in March to retail theft and illegal possession of a firearm. On Friday, Common Pleas Judge Steven T. O’Neill sentenced him to 18 to 36 months at the State Correctional Institute (SCI) at Graterford.
According to the arrest affidavit, Upper Merion police responded around 8 p.m. Dec. 17, 2011, to the Macy’s, which is part of the King of Prussia Mall on West DeKalb Pike.
A store loss prevention officer spotted Pigford, who was a store employee at the time, purchase several items during his shift. Once the sale was complete, however, the loss prevention officer reportedly observed Pigford place four unpaid-for items into his bag. He then held them in the store’s executive office until the end of his shift.
The loss prevention officer called police, who searched Pigford and found him to be in possession of a loaded 9 mm Taurus PT 11 semiautomatic handgun in his left inside coat pocket. The pistol had one live round in the chamber and 10 bullets in the magazine. Police records indicated Pigford did not possess a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Source-The Times Herald
