The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A shopper in a Texas Walmart is facing several charges after the authorities accused her of trying to steal items by using the barcode scanner incorrectly while checking out of the store.
It was reported that on September 3, the Walmart Supercenter in Brownsville, Texas, had a patron who tried to scam them when they used the self-checkout.
The woman reportedly had items in her cart totaling an estimated $100.
When she was finished loading her cart with the merchandise, the woman reportedly headed to the self-checkout area to ring up and pay for her purchases.
According to reports, when the woman went to the checkout station, she chose to use the hand-held scanner instead of the swipe pad.
As she rang up each item, the woman allegedly acted like she was scanning the barcodes affixed to the products. It was reported that she had a separate barcode concealed in her hand that she allegedly used for every purchase.
The woman finished her transaction and headed out of the store. Loss prevention agents suspected she had fraudulently used the self-checkout and they approached her before she was able to exit the store’s parking lot.
When loss prevention discussed the situation with the suspect, they alleged that she used a barcode that did not come from any of the items she purchased. They believed she had a barcode in her hand that charged $0.25 per item instead of the full value.
The 34-year-old was placed under arrest and booked into the Brownsville City Jail. The suspect is facing charges for suspicion of fraud, destroy, removal, concealment of writing, and theft. She is being held in lieu of a $3,000 bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.