PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Two Arkansas men who reportedly stole $12,985.28 from numerous self-checkout machines across the state were arrested by Pine Bluff police Monday after a brief pursuit.
The Pine Bluff Police Department said 31-year-old Jermaine Scott and 27-year-old Montel Vanderbilt were involved in a scam using reloadable Visa cards to steal money from self-checkout machines at Walmart Supercenters in Stuttgart, Monticello, and Little Rock.
According to authorities, Scott and Vanderbilt would pretend to purchase inexpensive items. Instead, they would load different amounts of money onto a Visa debit card and cancel the transaction. Pine Bluff police said the system would put the desired amount on the reloadable card while refunding the same amount in cash, doubling their money.
On Monday, a Walmart loss prevention supervisor provided video and images of Scott and Vanderbilt along with the license plate number of the vehicle they were driving.
Pine Bluff police said they located the vehicle and arrested both men after a "short chase."
Vanderbilt, the driver of the vehicle, attempted to flee on foot after the car was stopped, while Scott, the passenger, "immediately surrendered."
While getting arrested, Pine Bluff police found Vanderbilt to have "suspected narcotics."
Authorities took both men to the W.C. Dub Brassell Detention Center for felony theft, felony fleeing, possession of drug paraphernalia, unauthorized use of a vehicle to facilitate a crime, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver.
This is an ongoing investigation. We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.
