Walmart Teen Workers Stole $57,000 in Electronics, Police Say

Two former Walmart employees accused of being a part of a ring that from the Linden Street store were arraigned on multiple charges Tuesday.

Jared Lugo and Gabriel Pozo, both 19 and from Bethlehem city, allegedly participated in a scam in which an employee at a cash register would execute a fake sale of an item, taking no money for the item, walk the customer out past store security and into the parking lot where they would take a cash payment for the sale.

None of the money was returned to Walmart, according to Bethlehem Township police, which is investigating and prosecuting the case.

A variety of items—most of them electronics—were stolen using this method, according to court papers. They included televisions, iPads, iPods, laptop computers, cameras, headphones, video gaming systems, games, DVDs, notebooks and cell phones.

The first to be charged in the scam was Kristofer Herrera, 19, of 1737 Third St., Bethlehem Township, who was arraigned on April 8. He alone is believed to be responsible for stealing more than $22,600 in merchandise, according to court records.

Lugo, of 3025 East Boulevard, told investigators that it was Herrera who taught him how to pull off the thefts—by putting his cash register on “price check,” before scanning the items to be stolen, and then deactivating the security device, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

In the warrant, police allege that Lugo stole more than $8,100 in items from November through February, including cameras, gaming systems, headphones, iPads, iPods, laptop computers, cell phones and notebooks.

Lugo was charged with organized retail theft, retail theft, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property. All of the charges except receiving stolen property were classified as third-class felonies.

He was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Barner and released on 10 percent of $2,000 cash bail.

Pozo, meanwhile, is only accused of participating in the scam twice, both on Dec. 26, according to his arrest warrant:

• In one instance, he allegedly rang up two Wii video games, which should have cost $699 as a $0. In the other, he rang up two DVDs, two X-box Net adaptors, video games and one Samsung telephone as $0, when it should have cost $845.

Pozo was charged with two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit retail theft and retail theft—all as misdemeanors. He was also arraigned before Barner and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.

Several other suspects who have been named in the affidavits as being part of the conspiracy have not yet been charged.