FLORIDA — Baby formula is not usually thought of as high-stakes contraband, but prosecutors say one Florida man treated it like gold.
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Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Kenneth Jones is facing two counts of first-degree felony organized retail theft after investigators linked him to more than 50 thefts of baby formula across Publix, Target, and Walmart stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution said Mr Jones would carry reusable totes or bins into the stores, fill them with dozens of canisters of formula, and then walk out without paying. The reported loss to retailers exceeds $70,000, which Publix described as its most significant baby formula theft on record.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the public ultimately pays the price. “You know who the victim of this crime is? You. Because retailers are going to jack up the price and put it on the consumer,” he said.
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Mr Jones has prior convictions for similar thefts. In 2022, he was sentenced to two years in prison when such crimes were treated as lesser offenses. But a law passed in 2024 now allows prosecutors to pursue first-degree felony charges for repeat offenders, which carry penalties of up to 30 years in prison and fines of $10,000.
Attorney General Uthmeier called the crime “unconscionable,” noting the hardship it causes for families who rely on formula to feed their children.
