A SHOPPER has been accused of stealing $4,500 of Lego products from a Walmart while working with a shoplifting ring that targeted at least 20 stores.
Will Harold Wallace Jr, 20, allegedly worked with two other men to lift thousands of dollars of merchandise from a Waco, Texas, Walmart in March.
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Wallace was arrested and charged on Friday after detectives worked with Walmart Global Investigations to track down the alleged thieves.
It’s unclear whether or not the other two suspects have been taken in.
A warrant seen by the Waco Tribune-Herald states that Wallace was also charged with stealing $4,800 of other products from a Walmart in Bellmead on April 27.
Detectives compared photos of Wallace with images that they had obtained of the suspects to determine his identity, the warrant reveals.
Wallace faces multiple charges related to theft and organized crime and is being held at McLennan County Jail on a bond of $117,500.
Organized crime has been plaguing retailers in the past few years, causing leaders to crack down on incidents of theft.
In a conversation with CNBC, Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon threatened that stores could close and prices could continue to rise if the issue wasn’t addressed.
“It’s higher than what it has historically been,” the CEO revealed.
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Retailers are implementing increasingly noticeable anti-theft measures in stores that include locking up cheap items behind plexiglass walls and hiring third party security agencies to surveil shoppers.
Self-checkout has been at the center of conversations surrounding retail theft as many shoppers will use strategies like the banana trick to pay a low price for expensive items.
This shopper was accused of failing to scan $200 at the self service lane and instead allegedly for just a few cheap products.
While statistics show that theft was a $95billion issue in 2021, innocent consumers feel that they shouldn’t have to pay with a negative shopping experience due to the crimes of others.
One shopper slammed Walmart in a TikTok video where she said she was forced to do three separate transactions in one shopping trip.
She said that employees had to unlock individual items in the cosmetics and electronics department and ring her up at the desk there before she could continue moving through the store.
After picking up produce, the TikToker had to go all the way back to the front of the store in order to use a scale.
“If you’re gonna make my life hell when I shop here, I’m just gonna shop on Amazon,” she said in the clip.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, has also unveiled a plan designed to combat the problem.
Earlier this month, Mayor Adams said: “Shoplifters and organized crime rings prey on businesses that have already taken a hit due to COVID-19.”
He states that the plan, based on the large-scale Retail Theft Report, will “beat back on retail theft through a combination of law enforcement, prevention, and intervention.”
Adams’ plan involves resource kiosks, anti-theft training for workers, and diversion programs for offenders.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/8255763/walmart-shopper-stole-thousands-dollars-legos/