Man climbs through ceiling to steal $3K in cigarettes

A duo stole $2,805 in Newport cigarettes from the Maple Quick Stop in late August while the store was open, in a scheme involving a woman distracting the cashier and a man climbing through the ceiling to get into the manager’s office, reports stated.

According to Rome police reports:

On the morning of Aug. 29, just after 8 a.m., the theft of 55 cigarette cartons and multiple boxes of cigar wraps began at the convenience store at 1912 Maple Ave.

Video footage shows the woman enter the store, followed by the man. The woman starts talking with the cashier as the man heads to the storage closet at the back of the store. He goes inside and doesn’t come back out for 15 minutes.

During this time, he stacked boxes next to the wall that divides the closet and the manager’s office, where tobacco products are stored. A ceiling tile was pushed up so he could climb over the wall. He grabbed the cartons and boxes from the office and tossed them through the ceiling opening and into the closet.

The man climbed back through the ceiling and walks out of the

closet and then the store, only to return with an empty backpack moments later.

He chats with a few customers and acts like he’s going to the bathroom. But upon seeing the cashier was busy, he goes to the closet, where he stays for a couple of minutes and then emerges with a stuffed backpack.

He leaves and then returns with an empty backpack, going right back to the closet and loading up the rest of the items. He walks out of the store and doesn’t come back.