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A Democrat State Rep. Was Caught Shoplifting. Here's the Catch.

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  June 26, 2025 2:00 PM

This week, a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives found himself in hot water. 

Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan (D), 33, was charged with shoplifting at a Target store. 

On Tuesday, Allie-Brennan took to Facebook to explain what occurred. 

“During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned. I was in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital, the store didn’t have bags, and I was juggling multiple purchases. While I do not have a record, I take full responsibility for the error and am working through the legal processes to resolve the matter quickly and respectfully,” he wrote in the post.

“I respect the law and Target’s right to enforce their loss prevention policy, and I remain committed to serving my community with transparency and integrity,” he added.

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A Bethel police summary reviewed by CT Mirror showed that Target loss prevention staffers told police that they recognized Allie-Brennan from “previous unreported larcenies.”

He reportedly tried to leave the store with $26.69 in unpaid merchandise.

According to Libs of TikTok, in 2019, Allie-Brennan voted to ban stores from giving customers single-use bags. 

The bill he voted for stated: “On and after July 1, 2021, no owner or operator of a store shall provide or sell a single-use checkout bag to a customer.”

This week, he claimed that he did not scan some of his Target items because they didn't have bags.

The representative has reportedly been issued a misdemeanor summons.