Crime Report: Man Arrested on Retail Fraud Charges

Police arrested a 26-year-old Flint man after Walmart employees reported he walked into an employees-only area, carried out a 42-inch television and attempted to leave the store without paying.

Aro said the man denied trying to take the item, but police found video footage did not support the man’s story and he was arrested and taken to the Genesee County Jail after it was discovered the man was on parole.

The television was valued at $600.

Restaurant scam

A 31-year-old employee told police she was scammed out of $90 around 9 p.m. Jan. 6.

Chief Rick Aro said the employee reported a customer asked to exchange five $20 bills for a $100 bill for his daughter’s birthday. The waitress said when she returned with the $100 bill, gave it to the man and turned to walk away, the customer said that she handed him a $10 instead. The waitress then took the $10 bill and gave him $100 bill. At the end of the night when she cashed out, the drawer came up $90 short, Aro said.

Police have no suspects.

Fraud

Police arrested an 18-year-old Flint man for fraud after police say he used a scheme involving false debit cards at .

Aro said Walmart employees called Fenton Police about the fraud and said the man had left in a blue Buick Rendezvous, which was later stopped by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department. The man was brought back to the Fenton Police Department where he confessed to the fraud, Aro said.

Aro said he had a scheme using a false debit card, which was not being picked up by the store’s system, to load money onto a Green Dot card.

The man had other outstanding warrants and was taken to the Genesee County Jail.

For questions about this blotter, email Jason Alexander.