FARMINGTON — A local couple face theft charges after Walmart discovered a potential scam to get merchandise Friday night.
Police say Tina Cwikla, 25, of Anson and Jeffrey Gilbert, 23, of Farmington went to the sports department of the Wilton Road store at about 10:30 p.m. and selected a tent.
Instead of paying for it, they took the tent to customer service in an attempt to return the item. Without a sales receipt, they were given a gift card for the value of the item, $130.20, Rachel Heseltine, secretary for Farmington Police, said.
They then went and purchased items with the gift card, some of which they were wearing at the time of their arrest, she said.
The customer service clerk became suspicious because the tent did not have the normal sticker placed on items by the store greeter when someone enters the store with something to return.
Officer William Tanner responded to the call of theft at the store Friday night, Heseltine said. Surveillance footage taken at the store identified the couple and they were arrested.
Both Cwikla and Gilbert bailed from Franklin County Detention Center Saturday on $3,000 unsecured bail and have a court appearance scheduled for Aug. 18.
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