A woman is being charged for theft after allegedly stealing over $35,000 dollars in Safeway makeup products to pay for a heroin and gambling habit.

Amanda Marie Heinzel, 38, is accused of stealing from Safeway stores in Multnomah County several times in late 2020. 

According to court documents, a private investigator working for Safeway and Albertsons spotted multiple Safeway makeup products such as Olay and L’Oreal on a resale site. 

The undercover investigator met with Heinzel several times and paid for over $35,000 dollars of stolen merchandise as part of a sting.  

A Portland Police Officer then met with Heinzel in January 2021, and she admitted to stealing all the makeup and skincare products from Safeway, adding that every item she “sold” to the undercover investigator had been stolen.  

According to court documents, Heinzel told police she is addicted to heroin and meth, and used the money to pay for gambling, transportation, and living expenses.

Heinzel also reportedly told jail staff she has been homeless for the past three years. She also told the jail staff she was unemployed and is not receiving unemployment or food stamp benefits. 

Heinzel was originally charged in March 2021, but the case was dismissed the following month. She was re-indicted in September 2021, but not arrested again until May 23, 2023. 

She is due to be arraigned Wednesday morning on a 12-count indictment that includes charges of theft, aggravated theft, and felony computer crime.