Most people go through life without ever being arrested. Andre Burnett is not one of them.
On Sunday, prosecutors charged Burnett with shoplifting from a Magnificent Mile department store. It was his 78th arrest.
“You’re a nuisance to the system, Mr. Burnett,” Judge Mary Marubio told the 56-year-old. “And a drain on the system.”
Police arrested Burnett on New Year’s Day at Saks Fifth Avenue, 700 North Michigan. Prosecutors said he took a $1,250 jacket from a display, put it on, and walked out the door. He was also carrying a so-called “booster bag,” which is a bag wrapped in aluminum foil that’s designed to defeat the store’s security measures, according to prosecutors.
He’s charged with felony retail theft. Prosecutors said most of his 12 felony convictions are also for theft and retail theft.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood said Burnett has worked as a seasonal employee at a candy factory for over ten years. She asked Marubio to release Burnett on an I-Bond, which would require no monetary deposit because he’s accused of a non-violent crime.
“There’s not going to be an I-Bond here,” Marubio replied. Instead, using the value of the allegedly stolen jacket as her guide, she set bail at $1,500. Burnett must post 10% of that to get out of jail. He will earn a $30 per day credit for every night he’s in custody, so he can expect to get out of jail by Wednesday.
He is due back in court on January 10.
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