A Michigan man could spend decades behind bars after using a chemical-dispensing device to distract grocery store employees while committing theft.
In August, 39-year-old Alexae Kamron Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of retail fraud by theft, one count of placing an explosive device with intent to alarm, and one count of being a habitual offender.
On Thursday, Muskegon County 14th Circuit Court Judge Annette R. Smedley sentenced Johnson to a prison term of five to 50 years. The incident occurred in September 2024 at a Meijer store on Harvey Street in Fruitport Township, a small community about 35 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.
According to a Fruitport Township Police Department report obtained by CBS affiliate WWMT in Kalamazoo, an “unknown, noxious gas” was detected in the store. First responders described a “chemical cloud” in the center of the store that emitted a strong chlorine-like odor. ABC affiliate WZZM in Grand Rapids also reported that investigators referred to it as a “small gaseous cloud.”
Authorities later determined that the source was a small plastic bottle in the home goods section, which was releasing chemicals commonly used for swimming pool cleaning. Four people were treated at a local hospital for presumed chemical exposure but were released shortly afterward.
During the chaos, Johnson reportedly stole between $1,000 and $2,000 in high-end merchandise. Fruitport Deputy Police Chief Greg Poulson told WZZM that Johnson had been closely monitoring the area around the chemical device while loading his cart with electronics, then promptly exited the store once the device dispersed.
Johnson was arrested in early November 2024, according to a police department press release.
At Thursday’s sentencing, Johnson told the court he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time and acknowledged he should have sought help. Judge Smedley, however, emphasized the harm caused to others and imposed a lengthy prison sentence.
Following the incident, the Muskegon County Hazardous Materials Response Team had to clear the store before it could safely reopen.