Pennington County (trfnews.i234.me) – A Fargo, North Dakota, man is accused of a multi-date theft scheme at the Thief River Falls Walmart.
According to a criminal complaint, 68-year-old Ronald Maurice Smith has been charged with felony theft in Pennington County District Court.
Prosecutors allege that Smith stole items worth a total of $1,160.94 over three store visits in 2023.
The reported thefts happened on September 14, September 27, and October 18 at the Walmart in Thief River Falls.
The case began after a Walmart employee called police around 4:14 p.m. on October 18 to report suspected shoplifting.
The employee told police that a man had been changing price tickets to pay less for items.
The man reportedly left the store and then drove away before officers arrived at the scene.
The employee said the suspect had given him a driver’s license that identified the man as Ronald Maurice Smith.
An internal review later found three transactions that used the same index card UPC switch method, according to the complaint.
Investigators said the total missing merchandise from those sales was $1,160.94.
Many of the items were car-related products, and one of the costlier items was described as a buffer.
The employee also told police that other staff believed Smith worked as a doctor at Sanford Health.
A police sergeant and another officer then checked the Sanford Clinic parking lot for the suspect’s vehicle.
They found a vehicle registered to a revocable trust that included names believed to be Smith’s relatives, according to the complaint.
Smith later spoke with the sergeant and said a Walmart employee had taken him to an office after a checkout “error.”
He said he believed everything had been scanned and claimed he tried to correct any mistakes at the register.
Smith said he had pulled a paper piece from a pack of index cards to write a note while in line.
He told the sergeant he wanted to rescan the items, but said the employee refused and called for law enforcement.
Smith said he became worried about his medical career and left the store office after grabbing his driver’s license.
When questioned about the earlier two incidents, Smith reportedly said he had made a mistake and wanted to pay for the items.
The sergeant told him it was too late to simply pay and close the matter, according to the complaint.
Smith then allegedly admitted he had done something wrong and said he was under heavy stress at work.
He said he was almost 69 years old, had worked in medicine for more than 38 years, and feared losing his job.
Smith said this was the only time something like this had happened and that he wanted “to make things right.”
Felony theft charges in Minnesota are governed by Minnesota Statute 609.52, which covers a range of property crimes.
Information about court dates and filings in Pennington County can be found through the
Minnesota Judicial Branch website.
Walmart also outlines its loss-prevention policies and customer standards on its
corporate site.
At this stage, the theft charge against Ronald Maurice Smith is an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
