Harman man arrested for alleged shoplifting following fraudulent Walmart return

Monica Zalaznik
October 28, 2020

BUCKHANNON – A Randolph County man was arrested last week for allegedly completing a fraudulent return at Walmart and then pushing a cart full of items he didn’t pay for out the door.

Craig Currence, 40, of Harman, was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 21, for third-offense shoplifting, a felony. The arrest was related to an incident that allegedly took place in mid-September.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Patrolman Angel McCauley with the Buckhannon Police Department, on Sept. 14, McCauley received a file from the Asset Protection Associate with Buckhannon Walmart.

While reviewing the file, McCauley observed a male, later identified as Currence, enter the store and retrieve an empty shopping cart. According to McCauley’s report, after walking around Walmart and selecting several items, Currence then approached the customer service desk.

Currence then allegedly completed a fraudulent return in the amount of $116 and then proceeded to push the shopping cart filled with unpaid-for items out on the Market/grocery side of Walmart.

According to the report, the total amount pushed out was $254.38, and the total amount taken from the fraudulent return plus the cart full of unpaid-for items amounted to $370.38.

The file says Currence has several prior shoplifting convictions, including one in Randolph County dated May 1, 2019 and two others in Randolph County with effective dates of Jan. 29, 2020 and Aug. 5, 2020. He also has a shoplifting third offense currently pending from Harrison County with a date of May 14, 2020.

Bail was set at $15,000 cash or surety, and as of Wednesday afternoon, Currence remained incarcerated in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

The potential penalty for a conviction of shoplifting third offense is a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 and confinement in the state penitentiary for not less than one nor more than 10 years. According to West Virginia Code, at least one year shall actually be spent in confinement.