Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. (WGNO) — A Tickfaw man is behind bars after Tangipahoa Parish deputies allegedly found him in possession of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods.
On Thursday, July 6, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 47-year-old Joseph Hollingsworth who, according to a Crimestoppers tip, allegedly committed burglaries throughout Southeast Louisiana.
Chief Jimmy Travis said over the weekend, the Picayune Police Department said they were searching for the suspect in a Walmart burglary. Security cameras captured the suspect going in and out of the Picayune store on June 27.
Deputies say Hollingsworth dressed as an employee and stole items over the span of seven hours.
The investigation revealed that at one point, Hollingsworth was able to disable the fire exit so that he can enter the store during the night. TPSO partnered with the Picayune Police Department to confirm the information in the release matched the security footage and tip.
A search warrant was issued for Hollingsworth’s home and when they arrived, he reportedly gave a full confession. Officials said deputies were able to recover the worker uniform used for the crime along with the reported 173 stolen items, equalling a value of $6,950.
All merchandise was later returned to the store.
Hollingsworth was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on charges of:
- Possession of Stolen Property
- Possession of CDS II
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Detectives also learned Hollingsworth was in possession of items allegedly stolen from other businesses across Southeast Louisiana, sold several items from other burglaries, and was a named suspect in a Slidell Walmart burglary.
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