1.   Another employer claimed his former employee had stolen merchandise and was a drug addict.

2.   At the bagging end, most use scales that can detect attempts to steal unscanned merchandise.

3.   Because of the circuitous route taken by the rail cars, it would be nearly impossible to determine where the merchandise was stolen, Wines said.

4.   She turned them away, she said, because she did not know if the merchandise was stolen.

5.   The men then broke into the unoccupied van, stole more merchandise, and fled in the car.

6.   The police said later that they had not determined what merchandise was stolen.

7.   Village business owners began complaining that shelter residents were constantly stealing merchandise or harassing other customers.

8.   The victims were looters who had broken in to steal merchandise.