Voided or discounted items during holiday rush, police say
Three Walmart employees were arrested after they allowed some customers to receive huge discounts, and others to get free merchandise, during the Christmas rush, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Kalen Coleman, 19, of Boutte, is accused of ringing up customers for items and then voiding the sale while working as a cashier. The total amount stolen was $768.63, authorities said.
Fellow Boutte cashier Latashala Turner, 37, was also arrested on Dec. 22 after she failed to scan merchandise that totaled $1,564.56, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange said Turner admitted to shopping in the store while she was off the clock and then checking out without paying for merchandise.
Another Walmart cashier, 19-year-old Erica Howard of Boutte, is accused of voiding items and allowing customers to leave the store with free merchandise.
LaGrange said Walmart’s loss prevention division noticed that there were larger than normal voids by those three cashiers between November and late December. The Sheriff’s Office began their own investigation and arrested the three cashiers.
“All three voluntarily gave information that they were involved with falsely voiding merchandise, whether it be not charging people or putting incorrect totals,” LaGrange said. “The holidays present an opportunity for these types of crimes to occur because of all the people in the store. I’m not sure if they thought someone would miss [the theft] because of the volume the store was selling at the time.
“We’ve seen this in the past during the holidays at this particular store, though not on a consistent basis.”
Coleman is charged with 13 counts of theft of goods by altering the price. Howard faces nine counts of the same charge, while Turner was charged with one count of theft of goods by altering the price.
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