Report: Woman dupes store employees, returns $374 worth of stolen items | Crime

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Columbia woman they say duped store employees and returned $374 worth of stolen merchandise, according to sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies arrested and charged 34-year-old Cynthia Brown with third degree shoplifting.

According to Sheriff James Metts, Brown entered Walmart on South Lake Drive and began loading an empty shopping cart with flatware, cutlery, cookware, dinnerware and a coffeemaker.

The report said after Brown filled the cart with merchandise, she left the store telling the clerk she would return for the items.

Metts said the incident was captured on surveillance video.

Ten minutes later, Brown is seen reentering the store, grabbing the full cart and taking it to the customer service desk, where she received a refund on a gift card for $374, the report stated.

Once store employees discovered the return was fraudulent, they provided investigators with Brown’s information, and a warrant was issued against her, Metts said.

Brown was arrested and transported to Lexington County Detention Center.

According to the report, Brown has a lengthy criminal history for shoplifting dating all the way back to 2000.