Two Arrested Following ‘Coordinated Thefts’ From Walmart
May 9, 2018 at 5:50 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Roxanna Nicole Prater, 33, Ligonier, was arrested and booked into Kosciusko County Jail at 12:50 p.m. Monday for corrupt business influence, a level 5 felony, and theft, a level 6 felony.
Paul Larry Luna, 41, Ligonier, was arrested and booked at 1:26 p.m. Monday for the same charges. His address according to court documents filed Feb. 2 is 4172 W. Crystal Lake Road, Warsaw.
On Dec. 30, Warsaw Police officer Christopher Brown responded to a report of a series of thefts at the Warsaw Walmart. The store’s asset protection employee, Lisa Bronson, told Brown that Luna and Prater were involved in a scheme to steal merchandise from Walmart on seven different occasions – Nov. 18, Nov. 19, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 5, Dec. 6 and Dec. 8. She said a third person was involved in three of the thefts. The total amount stolen from Walmart was $875.54. She provided police with surveillance video and paperwork to show merchandise being stolen and returned with no receipt for Walmart cards.
On Nov. 18, Luna and Prater worked to remove wrapping from headphones and other items, according to court documents. Luna then concealed items under his shirt and Prater hid items in her purse. They then headed to the self-checkout, where Prater did not scan several food items or the stolen items in her purse. They passed all points of pay without paying for the electronics, items in Prater’s purse and some of the food items.
Luna and Prater returned on Nov. 19 to Walmart, with Prater returning headphones – believed to be the ones stolen the day before – with no receipt for $154.05. They then selected items from electronics and opened the boxes, which they then discarded. They selected other items and went to the self-checkout, where they failed to scan a shirt, cereal, milk, three bottles of Mountain Dew, chips and three unknown items. They bagged the unscanned items, but never paid for them, and also never paid for the electronic items that they opened and concealed, the report said.
They then allegedly stole other items in the same manner on Nov. 27.
On Dec. 4, Luna and Prater entered Walmart and Prater went to customer service and attempted to return headphones without a receipt. The customer service manager remembered Prater and denied the return without a receipt. Luna selected a phone and went to customer service and returned headphones for a refund of $105.93. Prater and Luna then left the store without paying for the phone.
On Dec. 5, Luna and Prater returned to Walmart with a third person. The man went to customer service and returned headphones, receiving $106.87 on a shopping card. He then went back to the car. Luna and Prater got out of that car and went into Walmart. They selected a television streaming device and several headphones. The third person then attempted to distract a Walmart employee while Luna removed the spider wrap from the streaming device. They selected a heater and concealed items inside the heater box, the report said.
At the self checkout, they failed to scan a shirt, leggings, soda and other items.
On Dec. 6, Luna and Prater attempted to steal more items, but was approached by Walmart employees who stopped him.
Then on Dec. 8, Luna and Prater entered the store again. He returned a heater that he had allegedly stolen from the store on a previous day. He took a phone and a heater and Prater concealed cosmetics. The third man apparently drove and picked up Luna and Prater.
No charges have been filed against the third man yet.
Prater has a pending criminal case of theft from Meijer in Kosciusko County Superior Court II.
Roxanna Nicole Prater, 33, Ligonier, was arrested and booked into Kosciusko County Jail at 12:50 p.m. Monday for corrupt business influence, a level 5 felony, and theft, a level 6 felony.
Paul Larry Luna, 41, Ligonier, was arrested and booked at 1:26 p.m. Monday for the same charges. His address according to court documents filed Feb. 2 is 4172 W. Crystal Lake Road, Warsaw.
On Dec. 30, Warsaw Police officer Christopher Brown responded to a report of a series of thefts at the Warsaw Walmart. The store’s asset protection employee, Lisa Bronson, told Brown that Luna and Prater were involved in a scheme to steal merchandise from Walmart on seven different occasions – Nov. 18, Nov. 19, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 5, Dec. 6 and Dec. 8. She said a third person was involved in three of the thefts. The total amount stolen from Walmart was $875.54. She provided police with surveillance video and paperwork to show merchandise being stolen and returned with no receipt for Walmart cards.
On Nov. 18, Luna and Prater worked to remove wrapping from headphones and other items, according to court documents. Luna then concealed items under his shirt and Prater hid items in her purse. They then headed to the self-checkout, where Prater did not scan several food items or the stolen items in her purse. They passed all points of pay without paying for the electronics, items in Prater’s purse and some of the food items.
Luna and Prater returned on Nov. 19 to Walmart, with Prater returning headphones – believed to be the ones stolen the day before – with no receipt for $154.05. They then selected items from electronics and opened the boxes, which they then discarded. They selected other items and went to the self-checkout, where they failed to scan a shirt, cereal, milk, three bottles of Mountain Dew, chips and three unknown items. They bagged the unscanned items, but never paid for them, and also never paid for the electronic items that they opened and concealed, the report said.
They then allegedly stole other items in the same manner on Nov. 27.
On Dec. 4, Luna and Prater entered Walmart and Prater went to customer service and attempted to return headphones without a receipt. The customer service manager remembered Prater and denied the return without a receipt. Luna selected a phone and went to customer service and returned headphones for a refund of $105.93. Prater and Luna then left the store without paying for the phone.
On Dec. 5, Luna and Prater returned to Walmart with a third person. The man went to customer service and returned headphones, receiving $106.87 on a shopping card. He then went back to the car. Luna and Prater got out of that car and went into Walmart. They selected a television streaming device and several headphones. The third person then attempted to distract a Walmart employee while Luna removed the spider wrap from the streaming device. They selected a heater and concealed items inside the heater box, the report said.
At the self checkout, they failed to scan a shirt, leggings, soda and other items.
On Dec. 6, Luna and Prater attempted to steal more items, but was approached by Walmart employees who stopped him.
Then on Dec. 8, Luna and Prater entered the store again. He returned a heater that he had allegedly stolen from the store on a previous day. He took a phone and a heater and Prater concealed cosmetics. The third man apparently drove and picked up Luna and Prater.
No charges have been filed against the third man yet.
Prater has a pending criminal case of theft from Meijer in Kosciusko County Superior Court II.
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