Cops were swamped with shoplifting suspects who stole food, belts and $530 worth of merchandise.
On January 2, Tahlequah Police Officer Mitchell Sellers was dispatched to Walmart in connection with reports that Michael Carpenter stole $530 worth of merchandise. The employee said he scanned the item as Kool-Aid with a homemade UPC device before the man left the store. Carpenter was transferred to prison and booked for petty theft, trespassing, possession of tools, possession of a controlled hazardous substance, and warrant tribal charges.
Officer Stephon Hurd was summoned to Walmart on January 3 after being accused of a shoplifter walking down Muskogee Street. Officers found Curwin Thomas and took him back to the store. Employees said Thomas called the merchandise, voided them, and walked away with the merchandise. The items Thomas disabled were Fried He’s Chicken, Hot He’s Food, Cheetos, Fritos, Soda, Door He’s Spray. Thomas is arrested for petty theft.
On January 4, Officer Thomas Donnell responded to Walmart on behalf of a man accused of stealing a belt. Donnell spotted Ricky Sartin outside the store and approached him. Sartin began telling Donnell that he had tried to pay for the belt, but the employee wouldn’t let him in. He entered the store with his pants down. He said he got the belt, put it on, and continued shopping. Sartin said an employee confronted him and wouldn’t let him pay for the belt. Employees said the man had a belt around his waist and had his shirt unfolded to hide the belt. They said he paid for the items but he didn’t pay for the belt.Sartin was arrested and booked for petty theft.
