Introduction to the Case

When Claudia and Marco Roca opened Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop last summer in Plantation, they hyped its arrival with a marketing blitz. They introduced a 24-karat, gold-flake turkey sub. They even invited a celebrity, Edward “Big Ed” Brown from “90 Day Fiancé,” to make them, drawing in legions of fans to the shop.

Now their Plantation franchise is “hanging on by a thread” — while their original Capriotti’s in North Miami Beach has been forced to close — following the alleged theft of $52,800 in goods from both restaurants, Claudia Roca told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The Alleged Theft

Roca accused a former Capriotti’s manager, Shamika Johnson, and husband Johnny Georges Dorvil of conspiring to pull off an “organized theft” of “meats, breads, packaging and proprietary ingredients” over a six-month period between October 2024 and March 2025, according to an April 24 Plantation police report.
Johnson and Dorvil, both Davie residents, allegedly used the stolen goods to cook and sell Philly cheesesteak subs out of an unlicensed food truck called Deb’s Philly Cheesesteaks, Plantation police records say.

The Investigation

The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested Johnson, 46, and Dorvil, 46, on grand theft charges on May 16, Plantation police spokesman Chavez Grant confirmed in an email. Johnson was released after posting a $4,000 bail on May 18, while Dorvil remains in custody, according to county court records.
Neither Johnson nor the Broward County Public Defender’s Office, which represents Johnson and Dorvil, could be reached for comment despite multiple calls and text messages.

The Accused

The couple have not yet entered a plea, and no arraignment has been set as of the publication of this article, according to the Broward County Clerk of Court’s office.
Roca told police she hired Johnson as a general manager in October to work at her Capriotti’s franchise locations in Plantation and North Miami Beach. Johnson then hired Dorvil without revealing to the Rocas that he is her husband, according to the April 24 Plantation police report.

Evidence of Theft

Broward Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy
Shamika Johnson, left, and husband Johnny Georges Dorvil, both former employees of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop in Plantation and North Miami Beach, were arrested May 16, 2025, by the Broward Sheriff’s Office on grand theft charges. (Broward Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy)
The report alleges that Johnson and Dorvil evaded detection for six months as they smuggled bread loaves, meats and cheeses out of the Plantation Capriotti’s walk-in cooler and placed them into a gray SUV parked behind the building. One of those incidents was captured in a Feb. 15 surveillance video, according to footage turned over to Plantation police by Roca.

The Aftermath

In March, when Roca told Johnson that she wanted to set a meeting to discuss the discrepancies in missing inventory, Johnson “walked out and quit,” Roca told police. That’s when the owners combed over old balance sheets and surveillance footage from both locations, tallied the losses and called police.
Roca says she has also filed a report with North Miami Beach police, but the status of any investigation is unclear as of this article’s publication.

The Food Truck

During the same month, Johnson and Dorvil started operating their Deb’s Philly Cheesesteaks food truck, which created its first social-media post on March 8.
In a public Facebook post on March 26, Johnson wrote that she created Deb’s Phillys in honor of her late mother. “I decided to open a food truck, something that me and her have talked about for many years,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, we weren’t [able] to do it before her passing, so I kept her dream alive.”

Support for the Food Truck

Videos layered with hip-hop beats show customers eating Philly cheesesteak subs and french fries topped with bacon and ranch dressing. Johnson appears in multiple videos.
The couple picked up high-profile support when Keith Lee, an influencer with over 17 million TikTok followers who tastes and critiques takeout dishes in his car, shouted out the food truck.
“In my opinion, amazing. Absolutely amazing,” Lee said in his video posted April 14. “I think, in my humble opinion, the best Philly cheesesteak I’ve had in a long time.”

Conclusion

Roca said her husband, Marco, and son Marco Jr. lost both their hotel industry jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on a whim decided to invest their “entire life savings” into opening the first two South Florida franchises of the Las Vegas-headquartered Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop.
But now, the loss of merchandise forced her to close her 3-year-old North Miami Beach location on May 10, while Plantation is “barely holding on and losing money.” One North Miami Beach employee has lost their job, while two others agreed to relocate to the Plantation eatery.
Both Capriotti’s locations were insured, but not for alleged employee theft, she said.

FAQs

Q: Who are the accused in the Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop theft case?
A: Shamika Johnson, a former manager, and her husband Johnny Georges Dorvil are accused of conspiring to steal $52,800 in goods from the restaurant.
Q: What was the alleged purpose of the theft?
A: The stolen goods were allegedly used to cook and sell Philly cheesesteak subs out of an unlicensed food truck called Deb’s Philly Cheesesteaks.
Q: What is the current status of the accused?
A: Johnson and Dorvil were arrested on May 16, 2025, and Johnson was released after posting bail, while Dorvil remains in custody.
Q: How has the theft affected the Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop franchise?
A: The theft has forced the closure of the North Miami Beach location and the Plantation location is “barely holding on and losing money.”