Police: Woman switched barcodes at Butler County Walmart to pay less

ajc.com

Credit: Submitted

Credit: Submitted

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An officer was dispatched to the Oxford Walmart store at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 6 on a report of a theft in progress, according to a police report.

The suspect was in the store’s office with a manager who said the woman had switched barcodes on a variety of items in order to use the self-checkout line and pay less for the items than she should have paid.

The store manager said she had watched as the woman placed the barcodes over those of the items in her shopping cart and took them to the self-checkout, where she paid $21.16 for items that should have cost $193.79. She stopped the woman after she had passed all points of sale and was heading to the exit.

The officer asked her why she had replaced the barcodes and she said she had made a stupid mistake.

Many of the things taken with the lower-price barcodes on them were clothing items including a sleeping gown, sports bra, men’s socks and sleep wear but also a headlamp valued at $42.97 and a variety of other items.

The barcodes from other items included eight items valued at less than a dollar.

Receipts showing the value of items stolen from the store and value of the items for which barcodes had been substituted were provided to the officer and entered into evidence.

The woman was charged with theft and has been trespassed from all Walmart Supercenters, meaning she may not enter them at any location.

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