Woman whose shoplifting arrest went viral pleads guilty in McHenry County court via Zoom from India

A woman who was caught shoplifting at Target in Algonquin – video of which has gone viral and been viewed millions of times on YouTube – pleaded guilty in McHenry County Tuesday while appearing in court on Zoom from India.

Jimisha Avlani, 46, was visiting from Mumbai, India, when she attempted to leave Target with nearly $1,400 in merchandise that she hadn’t paid for, including clothing, medication, jewelry, cosmetics, water bottles and miscellaneous home items, according to a criminal complaint filed May 1.

Video apparently from a police bodycam of Avlani speaking with an officer and store personnel has been viewed millions of times online, including on Indian sites.

In the video, Avlani repeatedly asks to pay for her items and for the matter to be dropped.

“I don’t mind paying for it and then leaving,” she said, to which an officer responded, “No, that’s not happening,” and tells her she is being charged with a felony.

“I’m really sorry. I‘m ready to pay for the merchandise and leave the store,” Avlani said, which the officer again shuts down.

“If I pay for it, what is the harm?” she asks.

The employee tells police Avlani walked around the Target for about seven hours. She was checking her cellphone and loading up her shopping cart using three reusable bags.

She walked out of the store with her loaded cart, bypassing all cash registers, the employee said. The employee stopped her in the vestibule, which was captured on store security video.

On the video, Avlani told Algonquin police officers she has no ID or passport with her, was visiting from India and was waiting for someone to pick her up.

“You made lots of poor choices today,” the officer said. “Are you allowed to steal things in India?” Avlani said no.

In court Tuesday, Avlani pleaded guilty to retail theft, a Class A misdemeanor. A more serious felony retail theft charged was dropped, an amended indictment shows. She was sentenced to 50 hours public service and one year supervision, and was ordered to stay away from the Target.

She appeared in court via Zoom because, prosecutors said, her visa was revoked after she was charged and she was forced to return to India. Attempts to reach her attorney were not successful.

After Avlani entered her plea, her attorney William Hellyer asked Judge Mark Gerhardt to impound the video because it “has gone viral.” Gerhardt said no, and that it is the public’s right to see the video.

A story from a news outlet India Today about Avlani’s arrest said the U.S. Embassy in India “issued a stern warning to visa holders that involvement in crimes including theft could lead to visa-revocation.”

“India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has urged all citizens travelling abroad to respect local laws and uphold the country’s image, while confirming that over 1,500 Indians have been deported from the U.S. this year,” the story said.