Three Virginia men are accused of stealing more than $6,000 worth of merchandise from an Armstrong County Walmart and are suspected in similar thefts at other Walmarts and stores in at least two other states.
State Police in Kittanning filed felony theft charges Friday against Shawn Terrance Acklin, 27; Adarrus DePriest Ferguson, 27, and Brandon Laroy Franklin, 23. All three are from Norfolk, Va.
“They were doing this at multiple Walmarts across the east coast,” state police Cpl. Curtis Guntrum said Friday afternoon. “They also have charges out of Maryland that they have to respond to.”
The men also were arrested on similar charges Feb. 4 in Luray, Va., according to police. Guntrum said they are in jail in Virginia.
A phone message left with the Luray Police Department wasn’t returned Friday.
Troopers said the three men, along with another unidentified man, went to the Walmart store in East Franklin, Armstrong County, on Jan. 26.
They allegedly grabbed carts and filled them with various high-price items, such as robot vacuum cleaners, routers and other electronics.
According to troopers, the men allegedly stole $4,000 to $6,000 worth of items from other Walmarts and stores across Western Pennsylvania.
In Armstrong County, the men face charges of organized retail theft and retail theft.
