The husband of a “Real Housewives of Pretoria” star is in custody at the ICE detention facility Alligator Alcatraz following his and his wife’s arrest in Boca Raton.
Authorities say Petrus “Peet” Viljoen, 57, and Melany Viljoen, 39, stole more than $5,000 in groceries from a Boca Raton Publix store over a six-month period. Arrested March 10, Melany told police she stole the groceries out of “survival mode” because she could not work legally in the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a federal detainer on the couple days later. According to an ICE spokesperson, the Viljoens entered the United States on May 25 as B-2 temporary visitors but failed to depart by Nov. 24, placing them in violation of their visa conditions.
Melany Viljoen, who told investigators she acted alone, remains at an ICE detention facility in Pompano Beach. Her husband denied all wrongdoing and is detained at the Everglades detention site.
Both are represented by the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, which, as a practice, does not comment on open cases.
Their arrests followed a six-month investigation by police and Publix loss-prevention staff. According to court records, the Viljoens used cheap seasoning packets as a decoy at self-checkout, stacking pricier items on top and scanning only the packet.
Surveillance-camera footage and transaction records at the store, at Federal Highway and Camino Real, revealed dozens of such incidents involving hundreds of unscanned items. Police say the scheme included everyday goods ranging from drinks and paper products to fresh groceries.
In the wake of their arrests, Circuit Judge Sarah Willis ordered the couple to stay at least 500 feet from all Publix stores.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ‘Real Housewives’ stars in ICE custody after Boca Publix theft arrests
Reporting by Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
