Police: Mother, Son Stole Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Toys

Michael Pollara and Margaret Pollara Accused Of Stealing $2 Million In Toys From Toys ‘R’ Us

A mother and son from Tamarac, Fla, are accused of stealing $2 million worth of toys from 139 Toys ‘R’ Us stores through the country.

s-TOY-THIEVES-large — Michael Pollara, 46, and his mother, Margaret Pollara, 70.

Michael Pollara, 46. and his mother, Margaret Pollara, 70, were arrested on Thursday for stealing more than $2 million in merchandise from Toys ‘R’ Us stores.

The son and mother allegedly used a system called “box stuffing”.

What they did was they would get into the store grab a cheap item with a big box empty it and then stuff it with small but expensive items and pay only price for the original inexpensive item.

Even though Pollaras were cheap while buying the stuff they still wanted to get his shopping perks and that is exactly how they got caught.

Sgt. Rich Rossman said “One of the things [Michael Pollara] would do was he would use a reward card,” . “Obviously, for his small-ticket item, he still wanted to get his reward points and that was his downfall.”

“He made it a goal of his to steal from all 50 states within one year, which he was very proud of and he did accomplish,” Rossman told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Pollara, with the help of his mother, would sell the stolen items on internet and then use the proceeds to finance trips around the world.

“He was proud of it. This is his job. I go to work with the Sheriff’s Office, he goes to work and steals,” Rossman told WSVN-TV. “He was due to leave Tuesday. He was going to Australia.”

Fairley tracked the reward card’s usage and discovered that since May 9, Pollara had visited 139 Toys R Us stores in 27 states, spending a total of $6,737.94 on 175 purchases.

“Without a doubt this is the most prolific booster — the term for a shoplifter — that we’ve ever come across,” Rossman told the paper.

Michael Pollara faces 13 counts for grand theft, criminal conspiracy, dealing in stolen property, felony petty theft, and organized scheme to defraud, according to court records. He was being held in the Broward County Main Jail on $318,500 bond Friday, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Margaret Pollara faces 6 counts for grand theft, petty theft, criminal conspiracy, and organized scheme to defraud, and is being held in a detention facility on $29,100 bail.