Burlington woman arrested at TJ Maxx in retail theft, drug case

Burlington police say a retail theft case that stretched across Alamance and Guilford counties ended inside TJ Maxx, where officers arrested 43-year-old Shanna Monica Gandy and found cocaine, stolen merchandise and multiple outstanding warrants.

Investigators said the Burlington Police Department had been looking into multiple larcenies at city businesses since August 2025. The case came together when officers with the department’s Aerial Reconnaissance and Tactical Intelligence Center located Gandy near University Drive, then moved in and arrested her at the store. A K-9 unit later alerted on her vehicle, leading officers to the cocaine and stolen retail items, police said.

The arrest underscores how organized retail theft is hitting stores well beyond a single storefront or city line. Police said Gandy was linked to thefts in both Alamance and Guilford counties, a sign that local merchants are dealing with repeat losses that can ripple through the Triad retail corridor. While officials did not put a dollar figure on the alleged stolen goods in this case, state officials have said organized retail crime contributed to more than $1.8 billion in losses for North Carolina businesses in 2022.

Gandy was booked into the Alamance County Detention Center without bond. The charges listed in the case include misdemeanor and felony larceny, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property and multiple failure-to-appear warrants. The blend of charges reflects how retail theft cases increasingly overlap with drugs, identity crime and warrant enforcement.

The Burlington Police Department has leaned hard into specialized enforcement tools as it takes on that pressure. Chief Alan Balog said in April 2025 that the department had 146 of 152 sworn positions filled, a staffing level he said helped create specialized units. Burlington police have also described ARCTIC as a first-response drone-based reconnaissance program, and the city says the department was named the 2024 North Carolina Law Enforcement Agency of the Year.

The broader economic stakes are plain for local stores. Organized retail theft does not just drain inventory; it can force tighter security, more surveillance and added operating costs that merchants may eventually pass along in higher prices or stricter checkout controls. North Carolina’s new organized retail crime law took effect Dec. 1, 2025, as state and industry leaders stepped up efforts to confront the losses.

Alamance County Crime Stoppers says anonymous tips can bring a cash reward of up to $2,500, and Burlington police continue to ask the public for help identifying and locating people featured in Crimestoppers posts.