Lawmaker, state Rep. Gerald Brady of Wilmington was charged with two counts of misdemeanor shoplifting from an Acme store in Newark, NJ, Tuesday by Newark police.
According to police, Brady shoplifted a shopping cart full of merchandise on two separate occasions on Dec. 29, 2021, and Jan. 12.
Leaving his legislative position of 16 years, Brady said he would retire by Feb 4. Brady, 65, did not mention his legal issues during his resignation, but did refer to post-traumatic stress disorder as the culprit for his leaving office.
According to Brady, PTSD “can be punctuated by episodes or conduct that may make little sense to people who do not understand the nature of PTSD.” Brady served in the Delaware Army National Guard “during the Middle Eastern conflicts of the last two decades.”
A law enforcement official and Deleware Online/The News Journal stated that Brady was investigated for shoplifting. The online media site reported Brady’s resignation was due to the shoplifting investigation.
An Acme employee called the police and reported that a man had left the store with a shopping cart full of merchandise on Jan. 12, around 5:20 p.m. the employee stated that when the man was confronted, he refused to pay and left the store. The incident occurred 15 minutes before the employee called the police.
Brady was identified, by the employee, as the man from another shoplifting incident that took place on Dec. 29.
Brady’s identity was established after the employee recorded his license plate number. The employee took a picture of Brady and showed it to the police, which also helped identify Brady. With Brady’s initials, the Delaware state representative plate helped to confirm his identity.
The police did not release information about the items Brady took. In both incidents, the stolen items were valued at less than $200.
A warrant for Brady’s arrest was issued on Tuesday. After turning himself in, Brady was released on a personal recognizance bond and was scheduled to appear in Newark’s Alderman’s Court later, stated police.
According to James Maravelias, President of AFL-CIO, an influential labor organization with influence on the Democratic party in Delaware, Brady also retired from his position as executive director of the Deleware State AFL-CIO on Monday.
Brady already had calls for his resignation when the public learned of racist and misogynistic emails he sent concerning Chinese women in June. Brady issued an apology for the email through his spokesperson. Brady planned to finish his term and not seek reelection.
In the coming months, there will be a special election to replace Brady. A date has not been announced.
Brady served as a Wilmington city councilman for ten years before becoming a state lawmaker.
