“He walked through the store, picking up the same items he had purchased previously – dishwasher detergent, Oral-B refills, and a pair of girl’s jeggings – and put them in a shopping bag. He brought them to the register, returned the items using his receipt, and received $39.57 in cash. Lawson had committed what is known as ‘return fraud’ – pretending to return items that you didn’t buy.” And now, Curtis Lawson faces 12 years in prison. The Guardian on how corporations are successfully pushing state prosecutors to increase shoplifting charges to felonies.