Two Arrested at Minden Walmart After Loss Prevention Catches Price-Tag Switching

Loss prevention employees at the Walmart on Homer Road in Minden caught two men swapping price tags on merchandise in back-to-back incidents less than a week apart, leading to two separate arrests and criminal charges filed with the Minden Police Department.

The first incident unfolded March 11, when officers were dispatched to the store for a reported theft. A loss prevention employee reported observing a man later identified as Markous Wagar, 42, of Arcadia, swapping tags on clothing, including replacing a shirt tag with one from a Wrangler item and scanning other items with altered tags. The total value of the merchandise was reported at $85.36.

Wagar's encounter with police grew more complicated after he was taken into custody. Police said Wagar initially identified himself as another individual to both store personnel and officers. After being transported to the police department, officers confirmed his identity. That false identification produced a second charge on top of the primary allegation. Wagar was charged with misdemeanor theft and resisting an officer by refusal to identify.

Two days later, officers were called back to the same store. A loss prevention employee stated a man, later identified as Lawrence Smith, 56, of Gibsland, was observed swapping price tags on multiple items before attempting to purchase them. When officers searched Smith, what they found suggested a more deliberate scheme: officers located multiple cardboard cutouts of price tags intended to be used to scan items at lower prices.

Smith offered an explanation. After being stopped and advised of his rights, Smith told officers he was unemployed and could not afford the groceries. Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Minden Police Department for booking and was charged with theft.

The two incidents, separated by 48 hours at the same location, underscore how central loss prevention teams are to catching what can otherwise be a difficult theft tactic to detect at the register. Both men were taken to the Minden Police Department, though no bond amounts, court dates, or case dispositions had been publicly reported as of the time the incidents were detailed. All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.