Doggy Treat Shoplifter Ordered to Jail

A Pontiac man that police said repeatedly stole dog treats from a Bloomfield Township pet store is in the Oakland County Jail.

John Henry Jackson, 55, is serving a 45-day jail sentence imposed Tuesday following his guilty plea to misdemeanor second-degree retail fraud charges in 48th District Court, records show.

Bloomfield Township police officers arrested Jackson on July 18 after he took two Nylabone dog chews from the Pet Supplies Plus at 2057 Telegraph Rd. at about 2:40 p.m. He was arrested without incident.

Investigators said Jackson is also responsible for stealing more than $500 in merchandise from the store in recent months. They were able to use surveillance video to connect him to three separate shoplifting incidents since the spring.

Jackson pleaded guilty at his initial court hearing. The investigation into other incidents is ongoing and it is unknown how many dogs he has.

It is not Jackson’s first brush with the law. His criminal history dates back to 1975 when he was convicted of breaking and entering a building with intent and larceny of more than $100, prison records show. He served four years in prison and was convicted of breaking and entering a building again in 1985. He served the minimum eight years of a 20-year prison sentence before he was released in 1995.

Records show that he was convicted of first-degree retail fraud later that year and garnered three more criminal convictions in between prison stints for property crimes, assault and fleeing police since then. He was paroled in 2010 and was listed as an absconder at the time of his most recent arrest.

For questions about this report, email Art.Aisner@Patch.com.