Phoenix Man Sentenced to Prison for Organized Retail Theft After Repeated Violations
- Bella Ronquillo
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A Phoenix man with a long history of shoplifting was sentenced to prison on his 25th birthday after pleading guilty to organized retail theft.
Gabriel David McDermott, wearing jail attire, addressed the court in Maricopa County Superior Court before his sentencing.
McDermott told the judge he wanted to use his time in prison to turn his life around and start making better choices.
“I’m actually genuinely looking forward to going somewhere where I can start a program and start over and do things the right way,” McDermott said.
He also spoke about his daughter that he has not seen in years, and his desire to reconnect with her after his release.
“Hopefully, when I get out of prison, my daughter will be about seven years old, and I would really like to be a part of her life again,” he said. “It’s been weighing on my heart recently.”
The judge acknowledged McDermott’s statement but said his criminal history and repeated probation violations warranted prison time.
“The court does find that probation is not appropriate,” the judge said.
McDermott was sentenced to two years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for the new case, along with a concurrent one-year sentence for violating probation in a 2022 case.
McDermott was arrested at a Target store near East Thomas Road following a Jan. 20 shoplifting incident, where he admitted to stealing over $500 worth of merchandise, according to court records.
Police were called after Target loss prevention reported a man leaving with unpaid items.
Officers detained McDermott in the parking lot, where he later confessed to his actions.
Security footage showed McDermott taking multiple records and using a stolen bag to conceal the items before leaving the store without paying.
The prosecutor argued that the case shows a pattern of continuous criminal behavior and failure to comply with court supervision.
“The defendant committed the current offense while on supervised probation,” the prosecutor said in court.
The prosecutor also said that McDermott had absconded from probation in late 2025 and had a long record of prior offenses.
Probation officer Sean Thomas described McDermott as repeatedly noncompliant in a statement included in court documents.
“Throughout his probation grant, the defendant has shown a pattern of non-reporting,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas also wrote that McDermott made little effort to participate in treatment programs or maintain stable housing while under supervision.
Court records showed McDermott has one prior felony conviction and 14 misdemaenor convictions, including seven for shoplifting within the past five years.
His probation in a previous case had been revoked and reinstated 13 times, according to court documents.
The judge said those repeated violations weighed in the sentencing decision, along with the fact that the new offense occurred while McDermott was already on probation.
The court considered some mitigating factors, including McDermott’s acceptance of responsibility, substance abuse issues and personal trauma.
Those factors played a part in a slightly reduced sentence below the presumptive term.
The judge also recommended that McDermott be placed in a facility that offers substance abuse treatment programs.
Along with prison time, McDermott must pay fines and restitution and is prohibited from entering any Target locations in the future.
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