EXCLUSIVE Famous cheesesteak owners who were lauded by Keith Lee are accused of THEFT in shocking street food wars
Shamika Johnson, 46, and her husband Johnny Dorvil, 46, were arrested on May 16 and charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $17,000 in stock from a Capriotti's sandwich franchise in Plantation, Florida, that the they also worked at.
According to arrest warrants seen by the Daily Mail their boss at the chain restaurant noticed large amounts of stock going missing in March and started to probe further.
The unnamed owner uncovered that the duo were allegedly working together to steal large amounts of food items, mainly cheese, meat and bread from the restaurant, the documents say.
Not long after noticing the missing amounts, the owner told officers that Johnson started her own food truck in March, named 'Deb's Philly's', which specializes in Philly cheesesteaks.
The documents say that the owner was able to identify the specific bread used by Capriotti's, which they say is exclusive to the brand, being used on the food truck alongside other products intended for the restaurant.
In a statement to police one employee told officers that they watched the couple carrying food items from the chain to an awaiting vehicle.
In total, officials say the two stole $17,394 worth of stock, with Johnson also being charged with handing out $13,523 worth of complimentary meals to Capriotti's customers.
In a statement from the unnamed owner of the sandwich franchise to police, they explained that Johnson was hired as the manager in October of 2024.
Her role, court papers say, involved her being responsible for logging new shipments of food, general supervision and managing the restaurant.
The owner said in the warrants that shortly after hiring Johnson she then hired her husband, Dorvil, as an employee and her son, identified as Zahir Johnson-Campbell, but she failed to notify the owner that the two were her immediate family members.
In March of this year the owner told police that they noticed a shortage in the restaurant's food inventory and starting probing the discrepancies.
According to cops, the duo would hid the packages of items in trash bags and place them in a freezer - before walking them out the back door of the store into a waiting car.
Other times they didn't even conceal the items they were taking, it is alleged, loading up trash bags stuffed with food into an awaiting SUV in view of security cameras, the documents said.
The owner reviewed the footage and compared it with records of shipments received by the restaurant.
The owner also told police that the main item being sold on the truck, a Philly cheesesteak, was made up of food items belonging to the business, particularly the bread used on the truck.
The legal documents say that the owner was able to identify the specific bread used by Capriotti's - which they say is exclusive to the brand - being used on the food truck, seen here
'This particular item is one of Capriotti's most popular menu items and is a key part of their business strategy.
'[The owner] advised that the particular bread used in the sandwiches is a proprietary recipe for the Capriotti's franchise, and cannot be purchased or obtained by anyone other than a Capriotti's restaurant', the legal document adds.
The owner also told officers that they positively identified Johnson and Dorvil as the people seen in social media posts operating the food truck, according to the warrants.
In March of this year the owner contacted Johnson and told her to appear for a meeting at the company's office to discuss the food shortages, which she never attended, the warrants said.
The owner also told police that Johnson never appeared back at the restaurant or collected her final paycheck.
Besides the alleged comped meals and stolen food, the owner claims in the document that Johnson's time cards indicate that she was paid for 245 hours that she didn't work, totaling $11,000.
The owner estimated that the total amount stolen from the business across the missing food, comped meals and hours worked totaled $30,918.
In Lee's review of the place, he said in a video shared to their social media that the cheesesteak 'the best Philly cheesesteak' he'd ate in a long time, he said.
Lee, who boasts nearly 17 million followers on TikTok, has made a success of himself by sharing videos in which he tries and reviews food around the world.
After their arrests in May, Johnson's daughter Damirah started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the food truck.
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A post shared by Deb's Philly Cheesesteaks (@debsphillys)
According to the fundraiser, the food truck was seized. She said: ' On Friday May 16 we ran into some unfortunate circumstances that were beyond our control, leading to an emergency situation that has caused us to lose everything in our food truck and the truck itself.
'Any support to help us get back on our feet and running is deeply appreciated. we are in need of any donations to contribute to food and equipment loss.
'Please help us get back on our feet so we can continue to serve our community with great and authentic food we all love.'
Damirah is hoping to raise $12,000 in the fundraiser, which has so far only gained $195 from donators.
In an arrest report from Plantation Police Department, officers say they pulled the couple over in a U-Haul truck that was towing their food trailer.
After both being placed under arrest officers said in their report that they found two firearms inside the food truck prior to it being towed away.
In a complaint filed by both Johnson and Dorvil just a few months before the allegations, the couple claimed that the Capriotti's franchise had failed to pay them their full wages.
The filing said that the restaurant had 'knowingly and willfully' refused to pay their wages. Johnson claimed she was $14,138 out of pocket while Dorvil claimed that his unpaid wages had amounted to $767.
According to Broward County Jail records Johnson is currently being held inside the Paul Rein Detention Facility on a charge of grand theft in excess of $20,000.
Dorvil is being held inside the Joseph V. Conte Facility on a charge of grand theft in excess of $10,000 but less than $20,000. They are both being held on a $40,000 bond and are both listed as pending trial.
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