Cops: Self-scan register turns into self-scam

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BY KEN KOSKY
kkosky@nwitimes.com
219.548.4354 | Friday, February 08, 2008 | (9 comment(s))

VALPARAISO | A Wal-Mart employee was charged with theft after police said he used a malfunctioning self-scan register as his own can't-lose slot machine.

Police said the employee discovered that a self-scan register was dispensing $20 bills when it should have dispensed $1 bills.

So, Valparaiso police said, he spent the next several hours making purchase after purchase -- essentially using the machine as his personal ATM.

Police said he made a total of 10 purchases that got him about $600 that he shouldn't have received during a four and a half hour period Tuesday morning.

The employee, Christopher Sheets, 24, of 3101 Black Partridge Lane, Valparaiso, was arrested Tuesday evening. Formal charges of felony theft were filed Thursday. He faces up to three years behind bars if convicted.

A store security official told police the problem began when $20 bills were loaded in the $1 bill slot, and $1 bills were loaded in the $20 bill slot of a self-scan register.

At 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sheets purchased a chocolate milk using a $5 bill and expected to get $2 and some change back. But he got $40 and some change. He kept buying more things throughout the morning, police said.

The trouble wasn't discovered until hours later when a customer ended up on the losing end of the deal, getting $1 instead of $20, and reported it. Security footage then showed Sheets using the register.

Police said he admitted doing it because he needed the money. Police said getting the wrong change once could be considered an accident, but repeatedly doing it is considered theft because the money was intentionally taken.

Police said they don't know how many customers got $20 bills and didn't report it.

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no name wrote on Feb 9, 2008 5:33 PM:

" I am a walmart empolyee so he wasnt only stealing from walmart but me too "

To Come On and Jack Pudding wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:53 PM:

" WELL WE ALL KNOW BY YOUR WORDS, JUST HOW HONEST YOU ARE, BUDDY!! Stay away from cash registers, will ya!!! Uh, I think it IS his responsibility to report it. He works for Wal-Mart. Now if he gets prosecuted, once he's out, he'll be working for peanuts, because there goes his record and his credit! But you're so smart, why don't YOU support him? Plus, the person who made the mistake with how the cash was placed, should be held responsible! I worked for a bank, and at the time, we had to put money in the ATM and we had to check it, once we were done! "

right is right wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:19 PM:

" The guy knew he was stealing from the start but the temptation of going against the system was great. If anyone thinks they can outdue modern survience this is an example of why not to try. "

Sue wrote on Feb 8, 2008 10:00 AM:

" This is just an example of human nature at its worse. How many of us would do the same. Not the right thing to do but a tempation beyond ones control. Did the employee who loaded the machine loose their job, too? "

come on wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:03 AM:

" It is not his responsibility to keep a job stealing machine honest. If there was an actual person there this wouldn't have happened. i say leave him alone, and let him keep the money. he took advantage of a situation, but i don't think he committed a crime. "

Video cam wrote on Feb 8, 2008 7:07 AM:

" There are video cams all over the place in the store and on the machine.

If people have used a credit card on a previous trip to the store, store officials could match up the vids, if they were inclined to do so. I bet someone will be assigned to scour the video tapes to match up faces to names. "

Pam wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:19 AM:

" Not so smart, if he needed money he had a job to get money...now he will need a job and money for an attorney. "

Puzzled wrote on Feb 8, 2008 6:19 AM:

" If there was video the police should know how many customers got the wrong change. "

jack pudding wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:56 AM:

" You snooze, you lose.
Leave the guy alone. "

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