Two suspects in Best Buy theft case make first appearance in court

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Two of the people accused of stealing $40,000 worth of products from a Best Buy in Savannah just appeared in court. Thursday was the first court appearance for two of the six suspected shoplifters in that case.

Shabria Summers and Leslie Bostic joined the hearing virtually from jail while their lawyers argued for their release.

A detective from the Savannah Police Department, Odell Thomas, testified Thursday that Leslie Bostic stole nearly $2,000 of merchandise and Shabria Summers over $500.

Thomas said Summers admitted she was there and got items, including a PlayStation worth $500 and Beats headphones worth $150.

The detective also said a Best Buy worker, Dorian Allen, was voiding transactions. Allen is also facing charges in the case. According to testimony, Allen would ring up purchases but void them the same day so the payment never went through.

Three of the other suspects are out on bond and did not appear in today’s hearing. Their cases will now be heard in Superior Court next. One of the suspects, Savannah Pendergraph, was sent to another county to face charges there.

Detective Thomas testified that all of the additional suspects were aware the transactions were not coming out of their accounts.

Summers’ charges were dropped, but she could still face charges through an indictment. Bostic was granted bond at the end of the hearing for $7,500.