A suburban Boca Raton man dubbed the "Balding Bandit" has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing hair growth formula, among other items, from stores across Ohio, the Ohio Attorney General's Office said.
In October, Andres Arias, 36, was arrested in Ohio on a charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. He pleaded guilty to the charge Tuesday, the attorney general’s office said.
He was arrested in August in Palm Beach County on an out-of-state fugitive charge, jail records show. He was extradited to Alabama, where he was also wanted on theft charges, according to court records.
From December 2015 through February, Arias flew to cities throughout Ohio, rented cars and drove to CVS and Walgreens stores where he would steal items such as Rogaine and memory- and weight-loss supplements, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
He hid the items in his pant pockets, then shipped them to associates in New Jersey, who would deposit money into his bank account, the attorney general’s office said.
“Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses and consumers tens of millions of dollars every year,” David Fornshell, the Warren County, Ohio, prosecutor who worked the case said in a news release.
Arias paid a $22,000 restitution, according to the release.
Ohio media dubbed Arias the "balding bandit" after surveillance footage showed a balding man stealing hair growth formula from stores throughout the state. That man was later identified as Arias.
In May, Arias was arrested by Boca Raton police on charges of driving under the influence and driving on the wrong side of a divided highway, court records show. He is scheduled to have a plea conference on that case in February, according to court records.
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