by: Erica Miller
Posted:
Updated:
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa man is behind bars after police said he was caught stealing from Walmart. Jason Rae Lemoine, 39, has been charged with Theft.
According to an affidavit, on April 1, officers with the Odessa Police Department responded to Walmart at 2450 NW Loop 338 after employees said they caught a man with a backpack full of unpaid merchandise. A Loss Prevention employee said he saw the suspect, later identified as Lemoine, driving a motorized cart through a sporting goods aisle. Lemoine grabbed about $225.00 worth of goods from the section and then drove over to the hardware aisle where he filled his backpack.
The employee said Lemoine then exited the store without paying. Employees confronted Lemoine outside the store and the merchandise was recovered, however, the employee said he wanted to press charges on behalf of the big box store.
When officers spoke with Lemoine, he admitted to the theft and admitted that wasn’t his first time stealing. In fact, jail records indicated that Lemoine was charged with Credit Card Abuse in October of 2000. He was charged with Theft by Check in April of 2004 and again faced the same charge in January of 2005. In 2017, he was charged with Burglary. Then, in January of last year, he was charged with Organized Retail Theft resulting in losses of more than $30,000.
Lemoine was taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center where he remained as of Thursday afternoon. His bond was set at a combined $25,500.