Three Strikes Elevates Theft to a Felony

Kerri Brown, 28, of 550 Lincoln St., Manchester, was charged Nov. 29 by Nashua Police with theft by unauthorized taking, a class B felony, following her arrest at a Nashua business.

At the time of her arrest Tuesday, police discovered Brown already had an active electronic bench warrant for her arrest in connection with a past failure to appear in court on a similar charge.

Police said just before 4 p.m. Tuesday members of the Nashua Police Department arrested Brown after she was stopped in a parking lot of a local business by a store loss prevention agent. Because Brown had two prior theft convictions on her criminal record, the pending charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a class B felony.

A class B felony is punishable by up to seven years imprisonment, exclusive of fines. Brown refused bail and is awaiting an upcoming arraignment in the 9^th Circuit Nashua District Division Court.