Winona Ryder Faces Jail Time

Winona Ryder was charged Friday with four felony counts after her alleged shoplifting spree at Saks Fifth Avenue on Wilshire Boulevard in December. The actress was arrested December 12 after allegedly shoplifting approximately $5,000 in clothing and accessories. Clerks at the store reported seeing her stuffing the clothing and accessories into her purse after removing the price tags from the items. A security tape allegedly shows Ryder using a pair of scissors to remove a sensor tag from an expensive handbag. At the time of her arrest she was in possession of painkillers without a prescription.

Ryder was charged with one count each of grand theft, commercial burglary, vandalism and possession of a controlled substance. She is facing up to three years and eight months in jail. As reported on Eonline.com, prosecutors seek to have the actor’s bail increased from $20,000 to $30,000. Ryder is free and is to appear in court on February 8 for the arraignment. Ryder’s attorney, Mark Geragos, claims the actress has receipts for all the items in her possession and it was reported previously that she stepped outside for a "smoke" and had planned to return to the store. The Ryder’s publicist said in a statement on Friday, "We are shocked at what appear to be grossly exaggerated charges. We look forward to the opportunity to explain and resolve these allegations."

The two-time Oscar nominee has appeared in movies such as Girl, Interrupted, Reality Bites, Heathers, Beetlejuice, The Age of Innocence, Little Women and Edward Scissorhands. It seems the actress does have a history of health problems. She dropped out of her lead role in Lily and the Secret Planting last August after she was hospitalized for a gastroenterological disorder. Ryder also revealed that she checked herself into a mental hospital in 1990 after suffering from anxiety attacks.