Boston man with outstanding warrants ordered held without bail for 60 days after arraignment on new shoplifting charges
BOSTON, February 14, 2025 – A Boston man with eight outstanding warrants has been ordered held without bail after police responded to an Allston Walgreens on Tuesday and observed him exiting the store with a basket full of unpaid items, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
MICHAEL JARVIS-VEGA, 41, of Boston was charged in Brighton BMC Wednesday with shoplifting by asportation and common and notorious thief. Judge Maureen Flaherty revoked Jarvis-Vega’s bail on his pending cases until April 11. Flaherty ordered Jarvis-Vega held on $250 bail on this case and also ordered him to stay away from Walgreens.
Jarvis-Vega is due back in court on March 5 for a probable cause hearing.
At about 3:21 p.m. on February 11, Boston police responded to a shoplifting call at Walgreens located at 465 Cambridge Street in Allston.
The assistant manager reported that an unknown male, later identified as Jarvis-Vega, stole a pair of JVC headphones and exited the store. Jarvis-Vega then returned to the store and filled a shopping basket with some small food items and a blender and walked out when officers arrived. Officers observed Jarvis-Vega within the entranceway of the store.
A CJIS query revealed Jarvis-Vega had eight outstanding warrants out of BMC Central, Roxbury, and Cambridge District Court for various charges including larceny and breaking and entering.
Jarvis-Vega has been convicted of larcenies in Newton District Court, BMC Central and Roxbury BMC.
Hayden’s office, the Boston Police department, and regional retailer groups and small business owners in 2024 launched the Safe Shopping Initiative, an effort to increase consumer safety and help store managers strategize responses to shoplifting and retail larcenies. The initiative formed amid increasing national and local frustrations around retail crime, along with concerns over the closure of several pharmacies serving minority communities in Boston.
"The facts present in this case provide a perfect explanation for why our partnership with police and retail groups is so important, not just for the safety of shoppers and store employees, but for the overall quality of life in our neighborhoods. We want our local and regional retail stores to remain safe and accessible for all residents. Holding repeat retail offenders accountable is an important step in that goal," Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications