Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – William C. Dennis, 33, was apprehended yesterday after he allegedly left Marshall’s with over $300 worth of clothing; the officer involved in his arrest noted that he is a well-known “aggressive and chronic” shoplifter, infamous for taking goods from Dick’s Sporting Goods almost daily during the summer of 2024 until he was eventually detained.

Around 3:22 p.m. on May 1, Dennis reportedly entered Marshall’s (3965 Plaza Blvd) with empty hands, chose clothing items totaling $310.77 and concealed them within the store. He then picked a backpack priced at $34.77, returned for the hidden clothing, placed them in the backpack, and swiftly exited the store, evading all checkout points.

A Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Detective was in the store’s Loss Prevention Office at the time, and he chased after and apprehended Dennis.

The arresting officer mentioned that GPD has previously organized secret operations specifically to capture Dennis due to his consistent “carryout-style” shoplifting.

Dennis has been charged with petit theft with three or more previous convictions, and four more sworn complaints are pending, but those documents are not yet available from the court website. He has eight felony convictions (non-violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), with most of them in Alachua County since 2023. He was sentenced in several cases in November 2024 and served seven months in the Alachua County Jail (with credit for 23 days served); he was released on April 7. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $15,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.