2 men charged in theft
Grants men arrested for trying to steal electronics

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A Grants man faces a preliminary hearing in Cibola County Magistrate Court on July 10 in connection with one count each of larceny over $500 and conspiracy to commit larceny over $500, both fourth degree felonies.

Grants Police Lt. Corey Allen said Wal-Mart security had Perry under surveillance when he met with another man, a Wal-Mart employee, and both devised a plan to steal electronic items from the store.

Perry faces up to three years in state prison and a $10,000 fine, or both, if he is found guilty and sentenced on both charges, according to Magistrate Court records.

A second man, Joel Martin, a Wal-Mart employee, who has been terminated by the store since the arrest, also of Grants, was arrested by Grants police and charged in connection with conspiracy to commit larceny above $500 in the case, Allen said.

Perry and Martin met in the store and determined a way to make people and video surveillance believe Perry had paid for a PSP Playstation and an iPod, court records state.

The PSP Playstation and iPod are worth more than $530.

The store's security surveillance videos show Martin deactivating the magnetic strips on the items that Perry then carried out of the store, without paying for them, court records state.

Grants police reviewed the surveillance tapes and concurred with Wal-Mart's security about the deactivation of the strips.

A check of the cash register where Martin was seen swiping a card failed to show any purchase amount for the items, court records state.

The card that was swiped by Martin was fake and was declined. Perry then took the items out of the store, court records state.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197, or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.