... and how they were bust
Peet and Melany Viljoen of Tammy Taylor fame. Picture: Facebook
New details have emerged, alleging how Real Housewives of Pretoria star Mel Viljoen and her husband, Peet, went on a crime spree in America.
The Viljoens, who fled South Africa last year amid fraud accusations and a disbarment hanging over their heads, were reportedly arrested this week after shoplifting goods worth more than $5 300 (about R87 800).
A police report detailing their alleged crimes has since circulated online.
How the shoplifting scheme unfolded
According to the report, investigators began probing a pattern of retail theft at a Publix store located at 1001 S Federal Highway after a data analyst flagged suspicious transactions at the store’s self-checkout lanes.
The analyst, Dominic Raia, identified multiple purchases involving the same debit or credit card repeatedly scanning seasoning items, a tactic being used to obscure more expensive goods that were not being scanned at all.
The report states that investigators were looking into “potential tag switching activity involving sales of items from the dry seasoning family group through proprietary software,” during which “multiple suspicious transactions were identified at the Self-Checkout lanes at Publix Store #600.”
ALSO READ: When will Peet and Melany Viljoen be deported back to SA? An expert weighs in
These transactions consistently involved the same payment card purchasing of seasoning items, which raised immediate red flags.
Smile, you’re on camera
When CCTV footage was pulled, it told a damning story.
Investigators observed the pair “scanning various assorted items as seasoning packets across numerous transactions by holding seasoning packets under assorted items,” a method that “resulted in the suspects failing to scan numerous items and Publix Store #600 incurring a loss.”
The scheme, which began on 29 August 2025, also involved what is known as ticket switching, removing price tags or barcodes from cheaper items and placing them on more expensive ones before scanning.
The report defines the practice plainly: “Ticket switching refers to a form of shoplifting where a price tag or UPC barcode from a less expensive item is placed onto a more expensive item to pay a lower price.”
By the time investigators had reviewed 52 transactions spanning nearly six months, 392 items had gone unscanned, with 369 of those positively identified via CCTV footage.
The total loss across those transactions amounted to $4 954.85.
Investigators were able to trace the suspects through their vehicle, a black 2016 Land Rover Range Rover, which was repeatedly spotted on CCTV.
Viljoen’s identities confirmed because of digital footprint
The report notes that “investigative resources indicated the vehicle is registered to W/F Melany Viljoen out of 529 S Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach.”
Their identities were subsequently confirmed through social media, with the report stating that “identification confirmation was established through posts on their Instagram accounts and YouTube podcast videos.”
Investigators further noted that “the couple are public figures from South Africa, known for their appearances on TV show, Real Housewives of South Africa.“
Once the vehicle was traced, surveillance was set up in the surrounding area.
The report states that the Range Rover was found “parked and unoccupied in the residential parking garage at 1001 Banyan Rd,” and that surveillance confirmed that “they are the sole occupants of the vehicle, and no one else drives the vehicle.”
The moment they became Icarus
The couple’s brazen return visits in February and March 2026 added significantly to the total loss and ultimately led to their arrest.
On 12 February 2026, Peet reportedly selected two cases of Maison Perrier Forever Lime Sparkling Water and one case of San Pellegrino Mineral Water before walking out of the store without paying when Melany’s credit cards failed at the checkout.
The report records the loss on that visit as $62.77, bringing the running total to $5 017.72.
The couple returned again on 28 February 2026, this time with a more elaborate haul.
Peet loaded the trolley with multiple cases of sparkling water, two 12-packs of Coca-Cola Zero, and additional beverages, while Melany selected produce items separately.
Their exit strategy followed an established pattern.
“Peet then entered the self-checkout area while Melany was failing to scan items, grabbed the cart with his selections and proceeded to pass all final points of sale without making any attempt to pay for the merchandise and exited the store. Melany’s card again declined, and she paid the balance of her order in cash at customer service.”
The loss that day totalled $117.71.
Final visit and distraction theft
Their final visit, on 8 March 2026, followed the same choreography.
Peet filled the trolley with two bottles of La Marca Prosecco, Charmin toilet paper, sparkling water and Coca-Cola Zero, while Melany added eggs, potatoes, bananas and beets.
According to the report, “Peet then gave the cart to Melany who proceeded to SCO,” where she staged it at the edge of the self-checkout area, scanned her smaller basket correctly, and watched as “Peet then entered the SCO area while Melany was checking out, grabbed the cart containing the above selections and proceeded to pass all final points of sale without making any attempt to pay for the merchandise and exited the store.”
Melany’s card was declined again, so she paid for her own items in cash.
According to the report, the loss that day came to $166.84, bringing the total confirmed loss across all transactions to $5 302.17.
Throughout these visits, the report also flagged a deliberate distraction tactic employed by Peet.
“In several incidents, Peet is seen speaking with a Publix employee in the SCO area in an effort to distract the employee while Melany committed the crime.”
The arrest and what the Viljoens said
Peet was arrested on 10 March 2026 following a traffic stop on the black Range Rover.
When presented with photographic and video evidence during his post-Miranda interview, he confirmed both their identities but denied any wrongdoing.
He “maintained the story that they were two people in the store shopping, utilising SCO,” and “never admitted to ticket switching.”
Melany’s account allegedly diverged sharply from her husband’s.
While she also confirmed their identities in the footage, she allegedly attempted to take sole responsibility, insisting she “was the only one committing the crime and Peet had nothing to do with it.”
Investigators directly challenged this version of events by showing her footage of Peet acting alone in the store on 29 August 2025, yet she “still maintained that he had no dealings.”
Melany did, however, offer a candid explanation for why the alleged thefts had occurred.
She allegedly stated she “was stealing because she was in ‘survival mode’ and has not worked since coming to the US due to not having a visa.”
Loss Prevention Investigator Camyle Haywood, who provided a sworn statement to the Boca Raton Police Department, confirmed that the store’s staff had been completely unaware of what was happening throughout the six-month operation.
She stated that “neither she nor anyone else has had physical contact with the subjects inside the stores as the staff was not aware of the incidents.”
Haywood also revealed that there were two additional theft incidents in Lighthouse Point, Broward County, which had not been formally reported to her store “due to the value not being significant.”
She formally “requested prosecution on behalf of Publix stores.”
ALSO READ: These are the real reasons why Peet Viljoen was disbarred
Who are the Viljoens and why did they leave South Africa?
The Viljoens first attracted public scrutiny in South Africa after the US owner of the Tammy Taylor brand sued them for $100 million (R1.6 billion) for using her trademark after their licence had expired several years earlier.
Local franchisees of the brand are alleged to have lost millions of rand in the fallout, and the Hawks launched a formal investigation into the pair over the fiasco.
Facing fraud allegations and with disbarment looming over Peet, the couple left South Africa for the United States in July 2024.
Their departure drew a lot of attention, not only because of the allegations they left behind, but also because of Mel’s profile as a cast member on Real Housewives of Pretoria.
Additional reporting by Marizka Coetzer.
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