Eureka Police suspect a 44-year-old Flint, Mich., man targeted inexperienced cashiers at Walmart stores in multiple states to steal from the company. He allegedly executed the scheme to steal $1,135.67 from the Walmart store, 131 Eureka Towne Center Drive, in Eureka, police reported.
At about 6:30 p.m. May 2, the man was seen in video surveillance at the Eureka Walmart appearing to look for a cashier target. He then chose a check-out aisle and had the cashier ring up $659 worth of merchandise, according to the report.
The man then allegedly told the cashier after he inserted a credit card into the aisle’s credit-reading device that he was getting a message that there was an error reading the card and to ring up the transaction as cash. He allegedly was seen in the surveillance video leaning over the counter and telling the cashier to press the register’s cash button, the report said.
Before the cashier pressed the cash button, the man also had the cashier ring up a $475 gift card. When the cashier hit the cash button, the transaction went through but nothing was charged to the card because it was recorded as a cash purchase, according to the report.
The man was arrested in a Walmart store in Rolla on May 3 after he allegedly stole from the Eureka location. He was allegedly attempting to return items he had stolen and use a credit card scam to steal money, the report said.
Before being arrested, the suspect was seen with another man in the Rolla store. However, the other man fled from the business and was seen driving away in a red four-door Nissan sedan, according to the report.
Investigators believe the two men had executed similar scams at Walmart stores in other states. It is believed the two have stolen about $60,000 from Walmart stores, the report said.
As of Monday, the man was being held in the Phelps County Jail, Capt. Michael Werges said.
He also said Eureka Police will forward the case to Homeland Security for further investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for charges.