Cerron Cade, Gov. Carney’s ‘trusted adviser,’ arrested for alleged Home Depot thefts

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Cerron Cade has been a trusted member of Gov. John Carney’s cabinet, serving as both labor secretary and currently budget director.

Carney, who will become Wilmington mayor next month, has so much faith in Cade that he appointed him as city chief of staff.

Cade’s political career is now in jeopardy. He’s been suspended with pay from his state post for what the governor, in a cryptic Saturday evening news release, called a “personal legal matter.”

But WHYY News has learned that Cade, who oversees the state’s $7.2 billion operating and capital budgets, was arrested last week by state police for what court records describe as serial petty shoplifting from Wilmington’s Home Depot store.

Cade, 41, faces six counts of misdemeanor shoplifting for thefts that allegedly occurred between June 16 and Oct. 30.

Cade, whose taxpayer-funded salary is $164,000, allegedly stole eight items valued at $394.32, court records obtained by WHYY News show. Attempts to reach Cade were unsuccessful.

The four-page arrest affidavit, provided by Delaware Justice of the Peace Court under a public records request, says Cade utilized a practice known as “skip scanning.”

That means Cade allegedly purchased items at the store’s self-checkout registers but didn’t scan one or more items on each of the six separate incidents that were outlined in the arrest warrant.

The items Cade is accused of stealing were for gardening, patio and other home uses. The items include the following:

• Area rug, $199
• Animal cage trap, $74.97
• Patio lantern, $39.98
• Contractor bags, $29.97
• Paint, $16.48
• Laundry detergent, $15.97
• Battery-operated candle, $10.98
• Bag of soil, $6.97

Cade, who stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall, usually drove his gray 2019 Chevrolet Traverse SUV to the store on Miller Road, the warrant said. His arrival, departure and movements inside the cavernous Home Depot were captured on store surveillance cameras, the warrant said.

On one occasion, Cade was observed putting an item he allegedly stole — the animal cage trap — inside one he bought — a planter, the warrant said.

On another occasion, he put the candle inside the patio lantern, and stole them both, the warrant said.

State police, who didn’t announce the arrest in a news release but provided basic information after a request by WHYY News, said they began investigating on Dec. 6 after Home Depot reported multiple thefts by the same suspect.