Troopers say they were contacted by officials from the store and received evidence from Wal-Mart officials of several employees who were involved in an ongoing scheme of "under-scanning," or "under-ringing" merchandise.
Police said over the past month, the employees allowed other accomplices to go through check-out lines and leave the store without paying for a number of items in their shopping bags.
State Police say they arrested 26-year-old Evelyn Smith, of Buffalo, for Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, an E Felony, for under-scanning merchandise on at least seven occasions while she was working as a Wal-Mart employee.
Police added that Smith was observed posing as a customer and left the store with under-scanned merchandise by going through the cashier line of one of the other members of the group.
Investigators say they also arrested 21-year-old Tacara Lawrence, or Buffalo, for Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, an E Felony, for under-scanning merchandise on at least four occasions, while she was working as a Wal-Mart employee.
Troopers say they arrested both 22-year-old Dewayne Harrell, a Wal-Mart employee from Buffalo, and 19-year-old Latasha Morrow, of Buffalo, for Petit Larceny.
State Police say that on some occasions, a cashier would activate a gift card and keep it, swapping it with another card that was not activated, allowing unsuspecting customers to leave the store with a gift card that was not activated.
Police say other arrests are pending and that Walmart estimates that this group of suspects is responsible for the loss and/or theft of more than $7,000.00 dollars in merchandise.
Source:WGRZ-TV