A shoplifter arrested for theft is accused of taking multiple items from a local store including apples, oranges, pears, grapefruit, protein shakes and fish oil.

Augustin Lucian Chiper, 50, Columbia, Tennessee, was arrested by Officer Davis Aerne of the Linton Police Department on Wednesday, July 27.

Officer Aerne was dispatched to the Walmart store in Linton around 2:15 PM on Wednesday, July 27, after one of the stores asset prevention associates contacted the LPD and said they had detained a shoplifter.

Chiper, with a Tennessee driver’s license, was identified as the suspect who allegedly told the officer the scanner was not working properly and did not pick up all the items. He also said if he has three items that are the same, he does not scan all of them individually but just scans one of them three times. The asset prevention associate and the store’s video surveillance told a different story.

Officer Aerne reported the camera footage showed Chiper scanned one bag of grapefruit then placed the other unpaid bag of grapefruit in the bag with it and that bulk bags of oranges and pears never came across the scanner and were not attempted to be purchased.

Chiper did purchase eight items that totaled $77.83.

According to Officer Aerne's report, the other items in his cart that were not purchased included grapefruit, two bags of apples, two bags of pears, 10 oranges and ten other items including two cases of premier protein shakes, boxes of Force Factor Amazing ASHWA and one bottle of fish oil pills. The total of unpaid items was $121.70.

Chiper was stopped by the asset protection associate after his transaction was completed and he exited through the doors.

Chiper was arrested and then booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:31 PM where he was held on a surety only bond. He has since posted bond and been released.

Chiper is scheduled to appear at an initial hearing in Greene Superior Court on August 11 on a charge of theft, a Class A misdemeanor.