SALISBURY — A Monroe man who authorities say is part of an organized retail crime group was charged during the weekend with taking thousands in Walmart merchandise. Police seized store items inside storage containers in his vehicle.
Salisbury Police charged David Rickie Knight Jr., 38, of Willoughby Road, with larceny, simple possession of a controlled substance and four counts failure to appear, all misdemeanors. The incident occurred Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Street store. The store’s loss prevention officer spotted suspicious activity on the in-store video. The loss prevention had received an alert about the theft group and spotted a man, later identified as Knight, who bought empty large Rubbermaid containers and later filled them with store items. The containers held power tools, gun accessories, fishing equipment and power tools. Knight left the store with the items and returned to retrieve a second container he’d filled with various items. Knight was caught the second time he tried to leave the store with the items. The first container had $4,463 worth of merchandise and the second container held $1,567 worth of items.
Knight remains in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $12,000 secured bond. Knight is expected in a Mecklenburg County court on 2013 charges of trespassing, drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer and misdemeanor shoplifting.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253. Twitter: www.twitter.com/salpostpotts Facebook: www.facebook.com/Shavonne.SalisburyPost