BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      To date, the Boardman Police Department has answered more than 260 calls of reported thefts at Wal-Mart, 1300 Doral Dr. Since Jan. 1, 2021, police have been called to the store 538 times.During a 16 day period in November alone, police were at the store no less than 20 times. Below is a listing of calls on which police were sent to the store between Nov. 9 and Nov. 27. During that span, police were sent to the
      store 27 times:
      Nov. 9: At 10:20 p.m., Nathan Wright, 27, of 929.5 North Market St., Lisbon, Oh., was placed under arrest and searched. Ptl. Brian Moss said a glass pipe was found in a jacket pocket, and a ‘tin’ that contained a cloudy, rock-type substance was found in another pocket. “Knight immediately stated that the rock was bath salts and he uses the glass pipe to smoke the salts,” Officer Moss said, adding another pocket contained a digital scale. Police recovered $69.59 worth of suspected stolen merchandise, including batteries and a hoody. According to Officer Moss, Knight admitted lying about his name and using his brother’s name because he was wanted on warrants. Knight was charged with obstruction, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drugs.
      Nov. 13: At 2:17 p.m., Ptl. Angelo Pasquale went to Wal-Mart on a call of a theft. Police were told a man wearing a New York baseball hat ‘selected’ about $300 worth of merchandise, including a Hoover carpet cleaner, tools and engine oil, then left the store without paying and entered a green Buick. A second man ‘selected’ a $426.86 television and then left the store without making payment, and got into the same Buick as the first suspect, police said, adding the vehicle fled north on South Ave. toward Youngstown.
      Nov. 13: At 4:35 p.m., two police officers went to Wal-Mart on a theft call, as the store’s loss prevention said a male and female had been detained as suspects. The pair were identified as Xavier Gilford, 33, of 25 Market St., #1003, Youngstown, Oh., and Lashaunda Estella Brown, 35, of 25359 Mt. Vernon Ave., Youngstown. Police were told after the pair ‘selected’ multiple items, they proceeded to a self checkout and they failed to scan $175.64 worth of merchandise. “After skip-scanning the merchandise, the pair loaded the items they failed to pay for into a shopping cart with the items they had already paid for,” Ptl. Angelo Pasquale said. Both suspects were charged with theft.
      Nov. 13: At 6:22 p.m., Ptl. Joseph Lamping was sent to Wal-Mart after a shoplifting suspect, Emma Gabryelle Chamberlain, 22, of 4255 Chester Dr. has been detained by loss prevention. Wal-Mart loss prevention employee Nicole Mirto told police that Chamberlain entered the store, ‘selected’ $205.76 worth of merchandise and “only scanned some of the merchandise, making “no attempt to scan 43 items.” Chamberlain was charged with theft.
      Nov. 14: Two police officers went to Wal-Mart at 11:00 a.m. because the business asked that a criminal trespass warning be issued to David Lawrence Brown Jr., 58, of Youngstown. Police were told that Brown is an ex-employee of Wal-Mart and had a reputation for harassing the store’s employees. “Brown was extremely cooperative and question why Wal-Mart did not give him the trespass warning when his employment was terminated on Mar., 2021. Brown said that he was terminated for harassing fellow employees,” Ptl. Mike Calautti said, adding that Brown acknowledged the trespass warning.
      Nov. 14: At 9:18 p.m., four police officers dealt with a shoplifting call at Wal-Mart. One suspect, identified as Jesse James Riffle, 30, of 603 Clearmont, Youngstown, was located in the parking lot of the nearby Storming Crab restaurant. Police said he fled on foot, then eventually stopped running and was placed into a cruiser. Wal-Mart loss prevention employee Troy Brabant positively identified Riffle as a suspect in the theft of a $2.54 can of spray cleaner, Ptl. Dave Jones said. Police were told that Riffle had entered the store with another man, identified as James Gadd, 34, of 4495 New Rd., Austintown, Oh. Police located Gadd inside the store and arrested him on a felony warrant issued out of Austintown for a violation of a court order. Riffle was charged with theft, obstruction and resisting arrest.
      Nov. 15: At 5:09 a.m., Wal-Mart employee Charles Morrison told police he was “conducting perimeter security checks” when he found a loaded, .40 caliber gun at the rear of the Wal-Mart building. The firearm was turned over to Boardman police.
      Nov. 15: At 10:41 p.m., nine police officer went to Wal-Mart after receiving a call a man attempted to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. Police were told the suspect fled northbound towards Youngstown in a pick-up truck that had a refrigerator in its bed. “The suspect attempted to remove a microwave and two Tasty cookers without paying for them,” Ptl. Brian Moss said, noting the merchandise had been recovered. The pick-up truck with the refrigerator in its bed was located northbound on Southern Blvd. by Ptl. Tony Ciccotelli. The truck was driven by Nicholas Gibson, 31, of 6982 Mistletoe, Youngstown. He was issued a citation for expired registration. Another man in the truck, told police his name was Howard Howell, 53, of Ridgelawn Ave., Youngstown. Police learned his identity was fake. Note: On Nov. 16, at 10:00 a.m., Elijah Junior Taylor, 42, of 346 Mistltoe, had been arrested by U.S. Marshals after Det. Doug Taylor identified Taylor as the man who had used Howell’s identity. Taylor was charged with identification fraud and multiple, other warrants on seven, different incidents. Taylor complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital. Five hours later he was released and then lodged in the Mahoning County Jail.
      Nov. 18: At 3:01 p.m., Shawntai Marie Beiling, 32, of 1032 East South Range Rd., Springfield, Oh., was charged with theft at Wal-Mart. “Merchandise was retrieved from her jacket sleeves and purse,” Ptl. Mike Manis said. The merchandise included fleece gloves, various electronic items, mini notebooks and key chains valued at $151.54. Loss prevention employee Nicole Mirto said the incident had been captured on a surveillance camera.
      Nov. 18: At 5:22 p.m., Veronica Scott, 35, of 3431 Hudson Ave., Youngstown, Oh., was charged with theft of $184.34 worth of merchandise on Oct. 15 at 10:02 a.m. at Wal-Mart. Loss prevention employee Brittany Young told police that Scott entered the store with an infant and a teenaged boy and ‘selected’ the $184.34 worth of merchandise “and took it to the self-checkout counter where she paid for an 88-cent item.” Young said that Scott then left the store and got into a Pontiac registered to Clarence Spann, of 450 Almyra, Youngstown, Oh.
      Nov. 18: At 7:33 p.m., Wal-Mart loss prevention employee Nicole Mirto said she stopped a shoplifting suspect who attempted to leave the store with $111.01 worth of stolen merchandise. After obtaining the female suspect’s name, the suspect told Mirto “I have a gun in my purse.” Mirto, concerned with her safety, then told the woman to leave the store, Ptl. Nick Rusyn said. Note: Police learned the suspect does have a valid conceal carry permit.
      Nov. 18: At 10:13 p.m., police were told a female entered the store and placed a variety of merchandise into a shopping cart. “She went to the self-checkout where she scanned and paid for some of the items, then also bagged other items she purposely failed to scan,” Wal-Mart loss prevention employee Mirto said, adding the woman then went to a customer service area and attempted to obtain a refund for the items she did not pay for. Mirto said the female, identified as Sharnita Latisha Baker, 36, of 180 East Marion, Youngstown, Oh., was denied a refund (because she did not have identification) and she placed $79.56 worth of merchandise she did not pay for back into her shopping cart and attempted to leave. Mirto said the security cameras captured the incident. Baker was charged with theft.
      Nov. 19: Police went to Wal-Mart at 2:28 p.m. after being told a man and a woman were skip-scanning. “An employee from Wal-Mart approached both and advised them they were not scanning items correctly,” Ptl. Brian Cionni said, adding “Both suspects ignored the employee and continued to skips-can additional items, placing the unpaid items into a shopping cart.” They then left the store, and after being approached by loss prevention were escorted back into the store. Charged with theft were Bryasia Monique Walker, 25, of 1951 Tracy Lane, Youngstown; and Davon Tremayne London, 22, of 920 North Garland, Youngstown, Oh. “One of the items Walker is suspected of stealing was a $24.88 backpack. One of the items London is suspected of stealing was a pack of socks valued at $19.98,” Ptl. Cionni said.
      Nov. 20 at 3:02 p.m., Roger Joe Mercer, 49, of 408 Ridge Ave., New Cumberland, West Virginia, was charged with theft (failing to scan) 20 items of merchandise valued at $381.91 (including $3.27 worth of Red Bull). The merchandise was recovered.
      Nov. 20: At 8:06 p.m. six police officers were sent to Wal-Mart. Police were told a suspect removed tags from merchandise then concealed the goods in a backpack. “The state of Ohio then became the victim of possession of drug paraphernalia and obstruction when the suspect lied about his identity and had a crack pipe in his pocket. It was also discovered that the suspect had an active warrant out of the Ohio Department of Rehab and Correction/Adult Parole Authority,” police said. When confront by police, the suspect said he was Keith Brown. He was correctly identified as Lewis Dandre Brown, 32, of 1764 Market St., Youngstown, Oh. When asked by police if he knew was he was being handcuffed, Brown replied, “shoplifting,” Ptl. Dave Jones said.
      On Nov. 20, at 10:30 p.m., three police officers went to Wal-Mart after a suspect attempted to steal 36 pieces of merchandise valued at $1562.97, including a 63-inch television, a cordless vacuum, a gaming headset and assorted clothing items valued at $1,562.97. When confronted, a male suspect told two Wal-Mart loss prevention officers he was ‘high” and fled on foot, leaving the merchandise behind, and getting into an old truck with no working taillights. “The suspect then drove erratically through the parking lot at an extremely high rate of speed, initially without closing his driver’s side door,” Ptl. Evan Beil said.
      Nov. 21: At 2:30 p.m., Jason Patrick Smith, 34, of 60 Sciota Dr., was charged with theft at Wal-Mart, placing items into a shopping bag without scanning them and then exiting the store.
      Nov. 21: At 4:00 p.m., Gary Phillip Brainard Jr., 52, of 2480 Redgate Lane, Austintown, Oh., charged with theft. Police were told suspected stolen merchandise had been recovered. Police were told Brainard fled Wal-Mart and he was later located across the street at Gabriel’s. Police said Brainard fled on foot through a field and he was apprehended when police caught up with him in a front yard on Bristlewood Dr. Brainard was also charged with obstruction and resisting arrest.
      Nov. 21: At 7:46 p.m., Trinity Rana Edwards, 21, and Lameisha Monay Drayton, 21, both of 2664 Tyrell, Youngstown, Oh., charged with theft at Wal-Mart. Drayton ‘selected’ $104.51 worth of merchandise and Edwards ‘selected’ $155.20 worth of merchandise and failed to scan the items, concealing them underneath items they purchased, loss prevention employee Nicole Mirto said. The stolen items were recovered. Drayton was also found to be wanted on a failure to appear warrant issued by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and she was transferred to their custody.
      Nov. 22: At 3:54 p.m., Benedict Chance Santana, 22, and Kaleigh Patton, 22, both of 2009 Lynn Ave., Poland, Oh. turned themselves into Boardman police on a theft report at Wal-Mart on Nov. 3. On Nov. 3, loss prevention employee Mirto said she watched the pair place items they were not scanned into bags with scanned items. Mirto said the incident was captured on surveillance cameras.
      Nov. 23: At 7:57 p.m., police were advised of a suspected theft at Wal-Mart on Nov. 19 about 4:20 p.m. when a man entered the store, ‘selected’ a $178 power tool set, took the security wrapping off the merchandise, then walked out of the store. The theft was captured when surveillance videos were reviewed.
      Nov. 23: At 7:54 p.m., police made a theft report for an incident on Nov. 19 when police were told a man ‘selected’ three boxes of king crab legs, as well as men’s work pants, a rotisserie chick, men’s underwear (total value of $200) and walked out of the store. Surveillance footage of the incident was given to police as evidence.
      Nov. 24: At 3:50 p.m., two police officers went to Wal-Mart after being advised a female shoplifting suspect left the store’s parking lot in a black Kia bearing Pennsylvania license plates. Loss prevention employee Nicole Mirto said she observed a female concealing merchandise and when she attempted to leave the store, after passing all points of sale, Mirto attempted to stop the suspect, who told the security officer, “I lost my wallet in here, you can have all of this shit,” Ptl. Shannon Chaffee said, adding the suspect left the shopping cart full of unpaid merchandise in the entry way.
      Nov. 25: At 1:15 a.m., police were told a man appeared to be passed-out in a motor vehicle in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. Police located a vehicle with a man named Stuart Hull, 47, of 8303 Glenwood Ave,, inside the vehicle. Asked what was going on, Hull said he had been kicked-out of his girlfriend’s house. He admitted to Ptl. Thomas Zorzi he had been drinking in Austintown and then drove to Wal-Mart. Based upon alcohol indicators, Hull was placed under arrest for lack of physical control.
      Nov. 26: At 4:56 p.m., police were advised a male had taken merchandise and concealed it in a backpack inside Wal-Mart. When the man exited the store, walking passed all points of sale without paying, he was approached by police. A search of the backpack also turned-up several used needles. Raymond Scott Betts, 38, of 1270 South Turner Rd., Austintown, Oh., was charged with theft ($20.98 worth of moonshine, gloves valued at $15.47 and a $25.44 flashlight) and possession of drug paraphernalia. “Betts admitted that he use [the needles] for drug, but he did not currently have any drugs on him,” Ptl. Kevin Stratton said.
      Nov. 26: At 7:53 p.m., Ethan Alexander Hunt, 18, 870 East Auburndale, Youngstown, Oh., charged with theft of ten packs of mini Fireball whiskey valued at $29.94 at Wal-Mart. According to Ptl. Shannon Chaffee, when a loss prevention officer approached Hunt, he said he was “on probation and not going back to jail.” After booking, Hunt was released on a court summons.
      Nov. 27: At 4:14 p.m., Michael Phillips, 64, of 705 Cassius, Yougnstown, Oh. was charged with theft of $187 worth of merchandise, including a $100 air bed, at Wal-Mart. “Police observed Phillips in security cameras concealing merchandise and walking passed all points of sale without paying,” Ptl. Kevin Stratton said. After booking, Phillips was released on a summons.