A prolific retail theft suspect was charged again for stealing body wash in Central Florida.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit filed an additional charge against 47-year-old Gerald Cobbs, who was already being held in the Polk County Jail on charges including felony petit theft and use of an anti- shoplifting device.
PCSO deputies responded to the Walgreens on Lakeland Highlands Road in Lakeland in reference to a retail theft. Deputies learned that three suspects entered the store together. While one suspect distracted the store clerk, the other two filled bags with numerous containers of body wash.
According to local law enforcement, the three suspects then left the store together without paying for the stolen items, which were valued at $644.76.
After reviewing the store’s surveillance video, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit detectives immediately recognized one of the “female” suspects as Gerald “Jalise” Cobbs due to his extensive history of prior arrests. Cobbs is known to dress as a female, according to PCSO.
Further investigation revealed that Cobbs had recently been arrested by the Lakeland Police Department on an active warrant and was already being held in the Polk County jail.
As a result of the investigation, detectives added the charge of petit theft with prior convictions to his existing charges.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Cobbs has an extensive criminal history, including 27 felony convictions and 17 misdemeanor convictions, the majority of which are for petit theft or grand theft offenses. He has been incarcerated eight times, serving a combined total of 11 years and one month in state prison (non-consecutive terms). He was most recently released from prison in October 2025.
“This suspect has made a career out of stealing, and despite spending more than 11 years in prison, he continues to victimize businesses in our community,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “Our Organized Crime detectives recognized him almost immediately because they’ve dealt with him so many times before. If he would put as much effort into earning an honest living as he does into stealing, he wouldn’t keep ending up in jail.”
