Red Lake County (trfnews.i234.me) – A 20-year-old man from Red Lake Falls is facing felony theft tool possession and gross misdemeanor theft charges after an elaborate barcode-switching scam at Walmart.
Police say Cael Aaron Nelson was caught on June 27 after a Walmart employee stopped him at the self-checkout. He hadn’t paid for $92.92 in merchandise. The total loss over several visits – June 6, 13, 19, 20, and 27 – was $507.26.
The criminal complaint says Nelson used a UPC barcode for canned green beans to scan higher-priced items. He admitted to doing it for over a year and a half, describing a “high” from getting away with it.
Nelson showed little remorse, allegedly telling officers Walmart was a big corporation with bad security.
He now faces serious charges and a possible prison sentence if convicted.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.