Five Georgia Residents Busted In Multi-Million Dollar Walmart TV Return Scam In Florida
Five Georgia residents have been busted for their roles in a multi-million dollar Walmart TV return scam they were allegedly running over the past six years in Florida. The arrests arrive after an investigation that began on August 31, 2019, which shows five suspects lifting about $3.6 million from Walmart stores in at least 13 different states and 39 different Florida counties since at least 2014.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office officials state that the suspects purchased expensive new TVs from Wally World and would place salvaged TVs inside the new TV boxes, go back to Walmart and return them. With the new TVs at home, they’d then resell them for additional profit.
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Suspects have been identified as Jorge Robert Ortiz (26, arrested), Chanthan Scott Khouleanghak (39, arrested), Jacorri Bentez Holland (36, still wanted), Michelle Maki Walker (30, still wanted), Eric Eugene Grigsby (48, deceased). Police are also looking for three additional suspects. All are facing multiple charges of fraud, racketeering, plus.
In a press release, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated, “Criminals like these are the reason our agency has a full-time Organized Retail Crime unit, working hand-in-hand with loss prevention personnel, retailers, and other agencies, to take a closer look at what might appear to some to be a ‘victimless’ crime. This is not ‘shoplifting’ – this rises to the level of racketeering, and the truth is, everyone suffers -consumers and businesses alike.”
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