Self-Checkout Scam at Louisiana Walmart Leads to Arrest

WATSON, LA (KPEL) —A Louisiana man is facing felony charges after Livingston Parish Sheriff's deputies say he used a sneakily swapped countless barcodes at Walmart to steal thousands of dollars of merchandise.

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According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, the suspect used the barcode swap scam to steal collectable sports trading cards from a local Walmart in Watson between July 15th and July 25th.

Authorities launched an investigation after the store reported suspicious transactions involving expensive collectible trading cards that were rung up by the suspect at self-checkout at a significantly lower price than their usual price.

Pasta Barcode for Priceless Cards?

Sheriff Jason Ard says Ryan Meador of Central put UPC barcodes from cheap items such as Great Value pasta, which rings up at $0.98 in the palm of his hand, while bagging a much more expensive item.

He was scanning the cheaper barcodes in place of the sports item. In total, more than $2,300 worth of merchandise was stolen.

While it appeared like Meador was scanning his items properly, he was actually stealing thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise without gaining any attention from employees monitoring the self-checkout area. Eventually, the store did catch on to his sneaky scam tactic.

Arrest Made, More Charges Possible

Through collaborative efforts between LPSO detectives, the Central Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police Fugitive Task Force, Ryan Meador was located and arrested.

Meador faces one count of Felony Theft and six Misdemeanor Theft Cases.

Sheriff Ard confirmed that additional charges may be possible once other agencies in different jurisdictions complete their investigations.

Our detectives have been working with partner agencies, Meador could be facing more charges in other jurisdictions.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and ask that anyone with additional information contact law enforcement.

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