Crime & Safety

Police: Woman Nabbed for Tag Switch Scam ... Again

A woman with a long history of retail theft in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties is accused of stealing from Walmart by running the tag switch scam.

Mount Pleasant police say a woman with a history of retail theft was at it again over the weekend at Walmart.

Marquita Robertson, 35, of Milwaukee, was charged Monday in Racine County Circuit Court with one count each of misdemeanor retail theft, repeater and bail jumping, repeater and one count of felony bail jumping, repeater. If convicted, she could face up to seven years, six months in jail and/or up to $30,000 in fines. Because Robertson is considered a repeat offender, she could get extra time tacked onto any sentence she might receive.

According to the criminal complaint, Mount Pleasant police were called at 1:57 p.m. Saturday to Walmart for a report of retail theft. When officers arrived, loss prevention officers said that Robertson was observed taking six items into the dressing room per store policy. While she was inside the fitting room, security checked the tags on clothing she left outside and made note of the regular prices.

When Robertson switched one set of clothing items for the second at the fitting room, security checked those price tags as well and found clearance pricing that didn't match, the complaint reads. She went to first to the pharmacy and then to the electronics department to make her purchases. When the transactions were complete, store management stopped Robertson.

Some of the items remained marked correctly and were separated from the pieces with incorrect tags. All told, the correct value of the items Robertson purchased was $97.52, the complaint reads.

During questioning, officers say Robertson was nearly hysterical and told police that she suffered from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety. She said Walmart had marked the clothing incorrectly and that she got everything off the clearance rack.

Robertson was allowed to keep the items for which she paid the correct price and was given a store gift card for the money she spent on items marked incorrectly. Still, police did take her into custody for switching the tags on a number of things, the complaint reads.

Police say store security told them Robertson was seen in Walmart on Oct. 6 purchasing items in the electronics department on which she'd also switched price tags. Specifically, the say Robertson bought three jackets which normally retail for $50 each, but she only paid a few dollars for them. Then, she returned the merchandise to the store and collected the full price for the items. 

Robertson remains in the Racine County Jail on a $300 cash bond. She is next due in court Oct. 23.


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