A WALMART shopper has brazenly grinned for a mugshot after being caught allegedly trying to sneak some items for free with a “gift bag” trick.
Juwuan Watts, who had previously been banned from Walmart, returned to one of the stores over the weekend and left with nearly $300 in stolen goods, according to police.
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The incident unfolded at a store in Fayetteville, West Virginia, approximately an hour from Charleston, on April 26, the local police department said.
Despite being previously barred from the premises, Watts made the bold decision to enter the store around 7:45 pm.
He entered the store from the general merchandise side, pushing a cart taken from the parking lot.
He directly went to the playing cards aisle, where he loaded up on merchandise, Lootpress reported.
Then, he walked over to the celebration section and swiped two gift bags.
He stuffed the items into the gift bags, using them to hide the goods in plain sight.
Breezing through the self-checkout without scanning, Watts rolled right out of the store, according to police.
The goods were valued at $282.79 according to officials.
A Walmart Asset Protection Associate reported the theft to police just after 8:30 p.m.
Watts allegedly headed straight for the parking lot, loading the loot into a black Nissan Rogue.
Cops later confirmed Watts had been previously trespassed from the store, meaning he wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.
By entering the building, Watts violated that court-ordered trespass notice.
That means he could face even more serious charges if arrested.
RISE IN WALMART THEFT
Walmart is cracking down as more thieves get creative with self-checkout scams.
The retail giant has been forced to tighten security after a string of jaw-dropping thefts using everyday items like trash cans, gift bags, and even mailboxes to sneak goods out of stores.
Earlier in April, a Florida school principal was charged after trying a sneaky “skip-scanning” trick.
Gregory Lewis, a middle school administrator, allegedly tried to steal $37 worth of groceries from a Winter Haven Walmart.
Walmart shoplifting arrests
- Ashley Cross was caught on security cameras using an old watch battery barcode to scan expensive products for just $1
- Ex-officer Mark Leenerts stole $317.88 worth of merchandise from Walmart stores in Topeka, Kansas
- Jeremiah Boyer raked in $52,800 in fees on 874 orders while working for Walmart’s online delivery service Spark
- Brent Adam Brooks, of Sylva, North Carolina, was arrested after trying to steal a $198 Frigidaire ice maker
- Kabreshia Caldwell targeted innocent senior citizen customers at Walmart stores across Northeast Florida, stealing a total of $10,000
- Katherine Gordon allegedly stole $80 worth of groceries by replacing barcodes on certain produce items
He told police he’d heard about the scam from friends and wanted to try it himself.
Cops said he pretended to scan big-ticket items but only paid for cheaper goods — walking off with light bulbs, bacon, and frozen shrimp before being stopped.
Lewis was charged with petit theft and is facing serious professional fallout.
Meanwhile, another alleged thief took things to a whole new level by swiping over $20,000 in merchandise.
A man identified as Speedy Gonzalez was caught on surveillance stuffing high-end electronics and other valuables into a large empty trash can.
He allegedly loaded more than 20 items into the container before rolling it out like regular shopping.
Police said Gonzalez used the container like camouflage, hiding smaller expensive items underneath bulkier pieces.