Dem Lawmaker Arrested For Shoplifting From Target Once Again

Connecticut State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat, is facing charges once again for allegedly stealing from a Target location for the second time this summer.

Allie-Brennan, 33, turned himself in to police on July 28 after a warrant was issued in connection with an incident at a Target in the town of Bethel, located about 30 miles from Bridgeport. It was the same location where Brennan was previously accused of stealing from back in June.

According to an arrest affidavit, a store security guard observed Allie-Brennan “concealing items into the Goodfellow bag that he had selected.” The merchandise in question was at $54.55, according to a report from the CT Mirror.

Target employees told police that they recognized the lawmaker from “previous unreported larcenies.”

Allie-Brennan, four-term lawmaker who was first elected in 2018, has not issued any additional public comments outside the Facebook post. “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 said in the post.

Allie-Brennan was released on a promise to appear in state Superior Court on August 5.

Allie-Brennan’s mugshot after his most recent arrest

Back in June, Brennan was arrested for allegedly stealing $26 worth of merchandise from the same Target location. “During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned,” the Democrat lawmaker posted on Facebook at the time, adding that he was being charged with a 6th-degree felony.

Upon his first arrest, the embattled Democrat told authorities that he was in a rush to bring the items to his grandmother, who was hospitalized at the time.“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,” Allie-Brennan  wrote on Facebook.

Connecticut Republicans have called on Allie-Brennan to resign.

“It is regrettable that, once again, a Democrat member of the Connecticut General Assembly has found themselves in handcuffs and subject to criminal prosecution,” said Connecticut Republican State Chairman, Ben Proto. “In light of these allegations, Representative Allie-Brennan should step down from his position.”

House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat, said he has spoken with Allie-Brennan and expressed concerns with his bizarre behavior. “Raghib will take some personal time away from the legislature over the next month to deal with the legal, political and personal ramifications,” he said.