A WALMART customer has been banned from all of the retail chain’s stores after he was caught using a sick trick to steal.
The shopper was told he can’t set foot in any Walmart in the United States after his arrest on a felony shoplifting charge.
Brent Adam Brooks, of Sylva, North Carolina, was arrested on January 28 after trying to steal a Frigidaire ice maker.
The machine cost $198 but Brooks tried to get out of paying anything for it at all.
He removed the anti-theft device on the box and was quickly arrested for misdemeanor possession of stolen property.
His charge was increased to felony larceny with the action of removing or damaging an anti-theft device as he interfered with the device.
“If you cut it off, it automatically sounds an alarm,” Waynesville Police Lt. Billy Benhart said, as reported by The Mountaineer.
Benhart said the felony shoplifting charge is becoming more common as thieves attempt to remove the security devices.
“We’ve been dealing with that since [stores] put anti-theft devices on stuff,” said Benhart.
Brooks, 36, has an extensive criminal history, including multiple felonies and pending larceny charges in multiple counties.
As recently as August 2024, Brooks was charged with second-degree trespass and shoplifting – concealment of goods.
In 2023, he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was also taken into custody for felony offenses related to running a location for distributing controlled substances, trafficking drugs like opium or heroin, minor theft, making threats, and other violations.
After his arrest at Walmart, Brooks was allowed to plead to a lesser charge, resolving his felony theft case with no extra jail time after two days.
He appeared in court on January 29 and pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge on January 30.
Brooks received a 120-day jail sentence, but it was suspended in exchange for an 18-month probation period.
As part of his probation, Brooks is banned from entering any Walmart store.
“We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience,” a spokesperson for Walmart told the U.S. Sun.
“Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores.”
Earlier this month, a serial shoplifter from Memphis, Tennessee was also banned from every Walmart in the US.
Ashley Cross, 37, was arrested after attempting to steal $137.34 worth of clothing and ramen noodles.
Cross had a lengthy history of shoplifting, according to police.
Like Brooks, Cross was caught using a barcode scam to ring costlier products out for lower prices.
Cross was charged with criminal trespass and theft of merchandise.
