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[QUOTE="Queen, post: 88316, member: 27"]
A South African reality TV couple's grocery-theft scheme in Florida spiraled into an immigration nightmare after authorities realized they were on tourist visas.

Viljoens got busted for grand retail theft
[LIST]
[*]Melany Viljoen and Petrus Viljoen were arrested on March 10 in Boca Raton.
[*]They allegedly stole over US$5,300 in groceries from a Publix supermarket.
[*]The scheme reportedly ran from August 2025 through March 2026.
[*]Bail was set at US$10,000 each.
[/LIST]
Ticket-switching was the alleged method
[LIST]
[*]The couple reportedly scanned cheaper barcodes on pricier items.
[*]Investigators flagged 392 items that went completely unscanned.
[*]Surveillance footage and transaction data backed the claims.
[*]Mel is a cast member of Real Housewives of Pretoria.
[/LIST]
ICE stepped in after the visa discovery
[LIST]
[*]Authorities found both were in the US on tourist visas.
[*]They got handed over to immigration officials on March 13.
[*]Peet is being held at a facility nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz.
[*]Mel was transferred to a separate ICE center in Pompano Beach.
[/LIST]
Deportation is on the table
[LIST]
[*]Immigration authorities are reviewing whether visa rules were violated.
[*]Harsher legal consequences could follow beyond the theft charges.
[*]The immigration system backlog means the process may drag out.
[*]Grand retail theft felony charges still need to be resolved first.
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[/QUOTE]

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