A Michigan man who deployed a chemical-dispensing device to create a panic at a grocery store while he shoplifted will spend up to 50 years in prison.
Alexae Kamron Johnson, 39, was sentenced Thursday in Muskegon County 14th Circuit Court to between five and 50 years behind bars for the elaborate September 2024 scheme at a Meijer store in Fruitport Township.
Johnson had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of retail fraud by theft, and one count each of placing an explosive device with intent to alarm, and being a habitual offender.
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Chemical Cloud Chaos
The incident occurred at the Meijer on Harvey Street, a location about 35 miles northwest of Grand Rapids. According to a Fruitport Township Police Department report, an “unknown, noxious gas” was reported inside the store. First responders quickly noted a “chemical cloud” in the center of the store reeking of chlorine.
Investigators later determined the source was a small plastic bottle in the home goods section that was dispensing swimming pool-cleaning chemicals into the air. The resulting “small gaseous cloud” caused immediate concern and disorder.
In the ensuing chaos, four individuals had to be treated at a local hospital for presumed chemical exposure, though they were later released. The Muskegon County Hazardous Materials Response Team was also called to the scene to ensure the store was safe before business could resume.
Thefts Amidst the Turmoil
Amid the distraction, authorities say Johnson made off with a haul of electronics and other top-dollar merchandise valued between $1,000 and $2,000.
“We watched him load his cart up full of a bunch of electronics,” Fruitport Deputy Police Chief Greg Poulson told WZZM, noting Johnson appeared to be watching the area where the chemical-spewing bottle had been placed. “As soon as that dispersed, he was watching down that aisle, he immediately went for the exit of the store and left.”
Johnson was arrested in early November 2024.
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Judge Rejects Mental Health Defense
During his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Johnson addressed the court, claiming he was in the throes of a mental health crisis at the time and should have sought professional help.
However, Judge Annette R. Smedley was not swayed by the allocution. Judge Smedley emphasized that Johnson’s actions had harmed people, ruling his conduct merited a stiff prison sentence that could keep him incarcerated for the next several decades.
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