A man with nearly 150 arrests is back out in the community following another robbery, as state laws prevent him from posting bail.
Shaquan Seth, 40, has a criminal history filled with burglary, theft, and drug-related offenses. After being released from Rikers Island just six days prior, having served five months, he now faces five additional theft charges in Queens, according to law enforcement sources.
He was granted release again on Friday because the state’s criminal justice regulations don’t allow bail for nonviolent crimes such as petty theft and robbery.
“It doesn’t add up,” one insider pointed out. “He just did six months for the same thing, and now he’s out without bail?”
Seth’s criminal activity has been tracked since 2009, and his behavior can be quite erratic. He was even spotted in a Super Mario Bros. T-shirt in a recent mugshot.
He is facing new charges for five different burglaries that occurred between June 17 and August 5, just days after he left prison. Reports indicate he took $600 worth of candles, which seem to be his latest obsession.
A spokesperson from the Queens District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that the new charges are not eligible for bail under state law.
Seth, who was last reported to be living in the Bronx, has a pattern of stealing from a Target store on Jackson Avenue in Queens, including the recent incident where he took over $600 worth of candles.
On August 5, he allegedly stole candles from a nearby store and threatened a young female clerk who attempted to intervene, though he didn’t show any weapon.
His most recent criminal activities took place after being released on June 11, following a five-month prison term for a burglary/robbery case from November.
Seth was held in jail while awaiting trial, but he pleaded guilty in May to felony grand larceny in exchange for the sentence and was credited for the time he had already served.
Sources indicate that Seth has been incarcerated 67 times before for offenses like theft and robbery, and he’s had run-ins with authorities that resulted in being shot twice during altercations with armed individuals.
Last week, he was sent to Elmhurst Hospital for psychiatric assessment but was quickly charged again and released.
Now, despite his extensive criminal record and pending cases, he’s back on the streets.
