logo
Woman banned from every US Walmart store accused of self-checkout scam, police say

Woman banned from every US Walmart store accused of self-checkout scam, police say

USA Today13-02-2025

A Memphis woman banned from every Walmart in the U.S. was arrested earlier this week after she allegedly used a self-checkout scam to shoplift packs of ramen noodles and other items from one of the retailer's stores, according to police.
A Memphis police officer wrote in an affidavit, which was obtained by USA TODAY, that the 37-year-old woman was charged with criminal trespass and theft of merchandise of less than $1,000. The woman, who the officer said is a "known shoplifter," was arrested at a South Memphis Walmart location on Feb. 10 around 3:44 p.m., according to the court document.
The woman is on the Authorization of Agency (AoA) list, and therefore is "not to be at any Walmart location in the United States due to prior shoplifting encounters," according to the affidavit. An AoA list for trespass is a legal document where a property owner formally authorizes law enforcement agencies to take action against individuals found trespassing on their property, including arresting them.
'We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience. Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores,' Walmart said in a statement obtained by WREG.
A company spokesperson said they are working on providing a statement when contacted by USA TODAY on Thursday.
What was the woman accused of doing at the Walmart?
A witness in the Walmart told the police officer she saw two women "stealing from the store," the affidavit reads.
The woman banned from the store was caught on a Walmart camera using an old watch barcode battery to scan all her items for $1 while using the self-checkout machine, the police officer wrote in the affidavit. During the fraudulent transaction, the woman stole 11 packs of ramen noodles, a pair of women's boots, blue jeans and a T-shirt for a total of $137.34, the affidavit reads.
The other woman who allegedly participated in the scam stole a backpack, two bras, a lash kit and an automotive accessory that all together cost $57.86, according to the affidavit. She received a misdemeanor citation for theft of property, the court document continued.
Court documents: Not her first time shoplifting
According to Shelby County court records, the banned woman was found guilty of shoplifting at a Circle K store in Memphis on April 22, 2024. The convenience store's clerk told police that the woman stole $33 worth of items, including four sandwiches, two slushies, one bag of chips and a can of cheese dip, an affidavit filed on May 9, 2024, says.
The store clerk identified the woman out of a six-person photographic lineup, and she was subsequently charged with theft of merchandise less than $1,000, according to the affidavit.
Other Shelby County court records accessed by USA TODAY show the woman was also found guilty of stealing $502 worth of items from a Nordstrom Rack in February 2023; $381.25 worth of items from a Dicks Sporting Goods in November 2021; $281.12 worth of items from a Walmart in December 2019; and $32.64 worth of items from a CVS in November 2019.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager is a tense mystery on a train: Review
'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager is a tense mystery on a train: Review

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager is a tense mystery on a train: Review

'With a Vengeance' by Riley Sager is a tense mystery on a train: Review Justice is best served cold — after a luxury overnight train ride, of course. That's the premise of "With A Vengeance" (Dutton, ★★★ out of four), the newest novel from bestselling author Riley Sager. It's is a locked-room mystery that takes us back to 1954 as a trap is being set. Anna Matheson's plan was simple, and she has put all her energy — and money — into every last detail. Get the people responsible for her family's downfall during the war onto a train where there's no escape, confront them and find out why they did what they did and then deliver them right to authorities waiting at the train's destination. But her meticulous plans are, well, derailed shortly after the train departs Philadelphia. Anna has managed, through anonymous invitations (and mild threats), to lure the six people who were behind destroying her family onto the luxe, and suspiciously empty, Phoenix train for a nonstop overnight ride bound for Chicago. More: USA TODAY's best-selling booklist She's prepared for this moment, prepared to face them all with what she's uncovered about their crimes, but she's unprepared for what comes after. Anna might want justice, but someone on the train apparently wants them dead and is killing Anna's captives, one by one. Now, she is in a literal race against the clock to not only figure out who's behind the murders, but also help protect the people she despises so they can be alive to face the justice they deserve. Sager's novel, which takes readers through each of the 13 hours from the train's departure to its arrival, brings easy comparisons to Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" and "And Then There Were None." But there's also familiarity from Sager's previous novels: the panicky main character making messy moves, hints of romance past and present, uncovered family secrets and many twists. The journey through "Vengeance" almost loses its way along the tracks setting up some of those twists. Like real train trips, initial excitement can wane as the adventure gets underway and you settle in for the ride. Will it remain fun, or will the repetition rock you to sleep? There's plenty, though, to capture a reader's interest along the way. The tension between the characters, the tightness of the quarters on the train are visceral and sharp. You might not understand why Anna makes some of her choices, but you can understand her grief for the loss of her family and her desperation for closure and justice. That along with the story's short timeframe factor add to the urge to find out what happens next as the mystery deepens and the action escalates. More: Celebrate Pride Month with one of these 10 new books, from romance to nonfiction And Anna is surrounded by characters with more interesting backstories than her own: Her Aunt Retta, glimpsed through flashbacks, who had little patience for weakness, or her late beloved brother, Tommy, the kind and charming youth who joined the military and the war effort both seem worthy of novels of their own. "Vengeance" is not merely the final destination — the answers to whodunit or how — but the whole journey: observing the passing scenery, the setting, the passengers and seeing where the ride takes you.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial Show Caption Hide Caption Witness Jane 'shocked' when she heard of Cassie's 2023 Diddy lawsuit Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend who goes by Jane testified that she was shocked when she learned of Cassie Ventura Fine's bombshell 2023 lawsuit. An alleged victim of Sean "Diddy" Combs is revealing the embattled mogul's favorite TV show is a true crime franchise. Combs' ex-girlfriend "Jane," testifying under a pseudonym in Combs' federal sex-crimes trial, revealed the eerie TV show Combs allegedly counts as his favorite in court on Tuesday, June 10. Under cross-examination, Jane said that she "endured" nights in hotels with escorts because she wanted to spend time with Combs – bathing him, rubbing his feet, cuddling with him and watching his favorite TV show, "Dateline," until he fell asleep. "I felt loved by him because we experienced these things together," Jane said on the stand. USA TODAY reached out to reps for "Dateline" for comment. When questioned by Combs' lawyer Teny Geragos, Jane also testified that she still loves Combs to this day. Lester Holt bids farewell to 'Nightly News' after almost a decade: 'Been quite a ride' "Dateline" features main host Lester Holt, the former host of "NBC Nightly News," and correspondents Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Blayne Alexander, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. The show also features Kate Snow, Craig Melvin and Meredith Vieira. The popular show also streams on Peacock.

Diddy told Cassie's friend 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,' she testifies
Diddy told Cassie's friend 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,' she testifies

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Diddy told Cassie's friend 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,' she testifies

Among the disturbing allegations emerging from Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing criminal trial is a statement the hip-hop mogul supposedly said to one of Cassie Ventura Fine's friends years ago. Bryana "Bana" Bongolan testified June 4 that she was doing an impromptu beach photoshoot with Ventura Fine and a photographer friend one day when Combs went up to her and issued a threat. "He came really close to my face and said, 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,'" she told the court. She admitted she was likely high on cocaine at the time. Regardless, she "was terrified" and unsure why Combs said that to her. Bongolan's remarks came on the 20th day of Combs' trial, which kicked off with jury selection on May 5. During her time on the stand, which will continue into a second day of cross-examination, Bongolan also detailed a 2016 incident in which Combs allegedly held her up on Ventura Fine's 17th-floor balcony and balanced her on the railing, making her think that she might fall. The event was first described in Ventura Fine's 2023 lawsuit, and Bongolan filed her own suit seeking $10 million in damages from Combs a year later. Bongolan told the court she'd first met Ventura Fine in the mid-2010s while working at a streetwear company called Diamond Supply Company, where the latter had been tapped to design a clothing line. She didn't meet Combs until about a year into their friendship, Bongolan said, but she knew she "wasn't fond of what I was seeing" in his relationship with Ventura Fine. She didn't really want to meet him, she testified. Bongolan also said that during a FaceTime before "The Perfect Match" premiere, she witnessed the black eye Ventura Fine allegedly suffered from Combs assaulting her in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in May 2016. "I was pretty quiet. I remember saying, 'I'm sorry.' She was also pretty quiet," Bongolan testified. Federal prosecutors claim Combs led a "criminal enterprise" that operated on sex trafficking, kidnapping, drug offenses and forced labor, among other crimes. Combs leveraged his wealth and celebrity status to "fulfill his sexual desires" in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse, investigators allege. He faces two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Contributing: Patrick Ryan and Gina Barton, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cassie's friend testifies Diddy said 'I'm the devil', 'could kill you'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store