5 Suspects Identified In $3.6 Million Fraudulent Walmart Scheme

POLK COUNTY, FL — Five suspects were identified in a $3.6 million fraudulent refunds Walmart operation that was uncovered by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

The suspects are from Georgia and have been accused of conducting suspicious merchandise returns to Walmart in Auburndale, and numerous other Walmart locations in Florida and Alabama

Two suspects have been arrested, one suspect died of natural causes and two suspects are at large, authorities said. There are three additional suspects that investigators are attempting to identify.

According to investigators, the suspects would purchase large, expensive televisions from a Walmart store for cash, remove the new TVs and replace them with salvaged TVs, return them for cash, and keep and re-sell the new (stolen) televisions.

Within the State of Florida, they are accused of conducting the fraud operations at Walmarts in Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St John's, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia, Walton and Washington.

Detectives said the suspects have been active in this scheme since 2014.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office found 25 televisions in the back of suspect Chanthan Scott Khouleanghak's Dodge van during a traffic stop in Sept. PCSO detectives inspected the televisions and found they had been altered and readied for return to Walmart stores. Seventy other receipts were located that showed the suspects had purchased additional televisions and were preparing them for alterations and return, authorities said.

"Criminals like these are the reason our agency has a full-time organized retail crime unit, working hand-in-hand with loss prevention personnel, retailers, and other agencies, to take a closer look at what might appear to some to be a 'victimless' crime," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "This is not shoplifting—this rises to the level of racketeering, and the truth is, everyone suffers, consumers and businesses alike."

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, two out of the five suspects still have a warrant:

• Jacorri Bentez Holland, 36, of Columbus, GA, is wanted for charges of using 2-way communication device to commit felony, obtain property by fraud, racketeering violation, cheating or gross fraud, criminal conspiracy to violate the racketeering act and coordinate other retail theft over $3,000.

• Michelle Maki Walker, 30, of Columbus, wanted for charges of using 2-way communication device to commit felony, obtain property by fraud, racketeering violation, cheating or gross fraud.

Suspects below have been arrested on multiple charges that include:

• Jorge Robert Ortiz, 26, of Lilburn, GA, faces the following charges: using 2-way communicaiton device to commit felony, obtain property by fraud under $50,000, criminal conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Act, coordinate others retails theft over $3,000, racketeering violation, cheating or gross fraud.
• Chanthan Scott Khouleanghak, 39, of Duluth, GA faces the following charges: direct dealing in stolen property, obtain property by fraud, criminal conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Act, cheating or gross fraud, racketeering violation and use of 2-way communication device to commit felony.
• Eric Eugene Grigsby, 48, of College Park, GA, is deceased, according to authorities.