Bemidji Man Charged in $806 Walmart Theft Case

BEMIDJI, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Jermel Allen Spears, 50, faces a gross misdemeanor theft charge involving repeated alleged shoplifting at Walmart.

According to an amended Beltrami County criminal complaint, investigators reviewed multiple store reports covering June through August 2026.

The complaint alleges Spears was involved in 16 incidents totaling $806.67 in unpaid merchandise.

The reported thefts involved self-checkout registers at the Bemidji Walmart.

Investigators Review Repeated Walmart Theft Reports

The investigation began after Walmart loss prevention staff contacted Bemidji police on August 4, 2026.

Store staff reported concerns about repeated thefts and requested a police case number.

On September 1, investigators received information about 17 store reports submitted for review.

Police identified Jermel Spears and Sandra Lynette Spears, 50, as two people involved in the reported incidents.

According to the complaint, the alleged thefts took place between June 7 and August 20.

Investigators reported a pattern involving merchandise that was not scanned before leaving the store.

Self-Checkout Transactions Detailed in Complaint

The complaint alleges Jermel Spears frequently scanned some items while leaving others unpaid.

On several occasions, Sandra Spears allegedly helped place unpaid merchandise into Walmart shopping bags.

The first reported incident occurred June 7, when store records identified $38.70 in unpaid merchandise.

Another incident on June 17 involved merchandise valued at $69.91.

On July 13, investigators reported an additional $72.57 in unpaid items.

The largest reported incident occurred August 20, when the value of unpaid merchandise reached $128.95.

The complaint also describes several occasions when Jermel Spears allegedly acted alone.

Investigators used the store reports to document the alleged losses over the summer.

Police Respond to August 20 Incident

Bemidji police responded to Walmart around 7:43 p.m. on August 20 following another shoplifting report.

Officers identified Jermel and Sandra Spears during the investigation.

According to the complaint, some merchandise had not been scanned at the self-checkout register.

Police reported that Sandra Spears said she was shocked by the situation.

Jermel Spears reportedly told officers he believed he had scanned every item.

The reported unpaid merchandise from that incident totaled $128.95.

Gross Misdemeanor Theft Charge Filed

Jermel Spears faces one gross misdemeanor theft charge under Minnesota Statute 609.52, subdivision 2(a)(1).

The complaint alleges he took merchandise valued at more than $500 but less than $1,000 without permission.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both.

The supplied complaint names Sandra Spears in the allegations but does not establish whether she was separately charged.

Beltrami County Court Case

The amended complaint is filed under Beltrami County Court File No. 04-CR-26-2101.

The case is assigned to Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District, and the complaint includes a summons.

No future hearing date appears in the supplied documents.

Readers can search public case information through Minnesota Court Records Online.

The allegations have not been proven in court. Jermel Spears is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.