Celebrities who have been caught shoplifting: From Winona Ryder to Megan Fox

Though some might think it, celebrities are not above the law.

Several major A-list names have had a brush with the authorities over the years after being caught stealing goods from high-end department stores.

While some Hollywood stars have insisted they only committed the petty crime once and learned from their mistakes, others have freely admitted how it used to be a habit and a money-making scheme.

© Steve Grayson

From Winona Ryder 's infamous Saks Fifth Avenue case to Lindsay Lohan ' s jewellery heist and James Franco's shoplifting 'business', find out about the celebrities who have had dealings with the law for thieving…

Celebrities who have been caught shoplifting

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Winona Ryder

Back in 2001, Winona Ryder was caught shoplifting when she exited the Beverly Hills branch of Saks Fifth Avenue with $5,000 worth of goods in her bag.

The Beetlejuice actress was arrested but then released on $20,000 bail.

Winona would later be charged with felony grand theft and, a year later, was sentenced to 480 hours of community service and was forced to pay a fine of $10,000.

Years later, Winona opened up about the ordeal to Porter magazine and revealed that it occurred during a difficult period of her life.

"Psychologically, I must have been at a place where I just wanted to stop. I won't get into what happened, but it wasn't what people think," she said.

"And it wasn't like the crime of the century! But it allowed me time that I really needed, where I went back to San Francisco and got back into things that I just had other interests, frankly."

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Lindsay Lohan

In 2011, Lindsay Lohan was caught stealing a necklace worth more than $2,000 from a jewellery store in Venice Beach, California.

The Freaky Friday actress was later caught and arrested before being served a home sentence and 480 hours of community service.

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Megan Fox

Megan Fox has openly discussed the time she was caught stealing Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen-branded make-up from Walmart when she was a teenager.

The Transformers actress told the Express : "They actually took me into the court, and I had two choices: wrapping [presents] for Christmas, which was awesome, it wasn't really a punishment.

"The other one was they were going to make me wear a sign that said 'I stole from Walmart' and stand outside Walmart for three days. I took the first choice."

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James Franco

James has also been open and honest about his law-evading ways growing up.

The actor previously admitted he used to steal goods and re-sell for money. Opening up about his fraudulent business venture, he said to California Sunday Magazine : "By the time I got to high school I didn’t have a 'thing', so I ended up just getting into a lot of trouble."

He said: "Like in 8th grade we started stealing cologne," he says with a laugh.

"We had like thirty bottles of cologne each in our lockers at school and then we could sell cologne at the dances."

James added that eventually they were found out: "It was like a big bust," adding that the experience made him realise he needed a change and then eventually began pursuing acting.

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Amy Schumer

James isn't the only celebrity who made money from stealing.

Fellow comedy actress Amy Schumer revealed to GQ back in 2015 that she used to make serious bank from robbing places in her younger years.

"I just discovered this department store where you could just take whatever and then return it for cash - no tags, no receipt, nothing," she admitted to the publication, revealing she took "thousands of dollars" worth of goods.

"It was the adrenaline -- the actual act of getting away with it. It wasn't about the money, even though the money was nice.

"And I didn't feel bad about it. It was this huge corporation. You know, I never stole from people. I never stole from a little store."

After years of chasing that rush, Amy was finally caught stealing from Bloomingdales, went to court and waved goodbye to her criminal lifestyle.

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Britney Spears

In 2007, Britney was accused of stealing from a store in Los Angeles though reports at the time never confirmed this to be true.

The singer was allegedly shopping at Hustlers when she apparently stole a wig off a mannequin when exiting the store.

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Stephanie Pratt

In 2006, Stephanie Pratt was arrested for stealing $1,300 worth of goods from a Neiman Marcus store in Hawaii.

The Hills star was released on $5,000 bail and later claimed she was under the influence of prescription drugs.

Following the arrest and a court appearance, Stephanie was charged with second-degree theft and was given a three-year probationary period.

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Kim Richards

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards was caught stealing in 2015 when she robbed $600 worth of goods from Target.

She was sent to jail but then released on bail for $5,000. Kim was banned from Target, sentenced to 36 months of probation, ordered to attend AA meetings and complete 300 hours of community service.