Utica, NY’s Cookie Bandit Caught: Suspect Steals $700 in Cookies and Cases of Beer in Wild Crime Spree!

On January 28th, 2025 at approximately 7:00AM Utica Police units were dispatched to a local grocery store regarding a burglary investigation.

Upon arrival they were met by management who informed them that an unknown individual had broken the front glass window and entered the store. Once inside the suspect proceeded to steal over $700 in cookies on a flatbed cart valued at $500. The suspect then fled the store with the items.

Surveillance footage was provided the investigator assigned to the case, and with the assistance of the Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center, the footage was disseminated and a positive identification was made on the suspect.

Then on February 1st, 2025 Utica Police officers took a report of a separate larceny from a convenience store of the same male in which the male stole cases of beer and fled the scene. In this incident the store employees were familiar with suspect and provided the name to the officers.

Based on the time frame both cases were assigned to the investigator in the Criminal Investigations Division, and charges for both incidents were submitted for warrant consideration.

On March 28th, 2025 the Utica Police Department Warrants Unit located the suspect, Charles Green age 41 of Utica and arrested him. He was brought to the Utica Police Department and charged with:

Burglary in the second degree

Grand Larceny in the fourth degree

Criminal Mischief in the third degree

Petit Larceny

While many will remember Green for his strange penchant for sweets and alcohol, the case raises some serious questions about his motivations — and whether he was simply indulging in his cravings or embarking on a much deeper criminal spree.

Either way, the authorities are calling this a significant victory. Green’s arrest may put an end to his cookie-and-beer-fueled crime spree, but it’s left the community wondering just how far this unusual burglar will go for his next heist.