Former Deadliest Catch star Jerod Sechrist is facing new charges of shoplifting from an IKEA store. The reality star was taken into custody back in October on an existing warrant, but this week police said that they have been able to connect him with another attempted theft. Sechrist remains in jail.
Sechrist is known to many for his brief stint on Deadliest Catch, where he appeared on three episodes back in 2016. He made a big impression at the time, as he angered his crewmates with some amateurish antics.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Back on dry land, however, things have not been going well for Sechrist. According to the Florida Patch, he was was arrested by Tampa Police on Oct. 5 on a warrant having to do with reckless driving. At the time, they reportedly found heroin and drug paraphernalia in his possession.
Less than two months later, Sechrist has been arrested yet again. Police have identified Sechrist as the apparent culprit of a massive theft from Ikea in early October, before he was taken into custody.
According to police documents, Sechrist loaded a shopping cart with about $1,034 worth of merchandise in an IKEA store in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood. He then pushed the cart right out of the store without paying and made a break for it. Store security reportedly took photos of Sechrist taking off on a bicycle, towing his cart behind him.
Most of the stolen goods were electronics, police say. They worked with store employees to comb through security footage and match up Sechrist with the thief there, and now feel confident charging Sechrist with the crime.
Sechrist was reportedly arrested on Nov. 20 without incident. He was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail, where he remains on a $2,000 bond.
Police reportedly feel that there is a connection between Sechrist’s drug arrest and his alleged theft, especially considering how close they were together. The documents say that he was released from jail in October, but do not mention whether he was charged for bail or not.
Sechrist was a cew member on Captain Wild Bill’s crab-fishing boat in 2016 when he filmed Deadliest Catch. He was mocked by his crewmates for not being able to tell the difference between male and female king crabs at the time. Sechrist has not returned to the show since his three-episode stint.
Deadliest Catch is streaming now on Hulu. The series has not yet been renewed for another season on Discovery.
