Deputies: North Naples man used Kool-Aid packet to steal nearly $1K in merchandise

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published:
Bradley Young (Credit: CCSO booking photo)

A 37-year-old man faces a felony charge after deputies say he used a 24-cent Kool-Aid packet to ring up nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise at a North Naples Walmart on Sunday.

Bradley D. Young, of North Naples, faces charges of grand theft and shoplifting.

Around 5:45 p.m., deputies were called to the Walmart at 5420 Juliet Blvd., in response to a theft in progress, according to Collier County Sheriff’s Office arrest reports. A store loss prevention officer watched Young scan merchandise with a Kool-Aid pack concealed in his hand so the items rang up 24 cents. Young rang up three Kool-Aid packets and some other small items totaling $24.44 for $994.13 worth of merchandise.

The loss prevention officer told deputies that she recognized Young from an incident in August where he attempted to walk out of the store with merchandise that was not paid for. Due to his previous attempt, she followed him around the store and watched him pretend to scan items that were in his shopping cart, including a backpack that contained merchandise that hadn’t been paid for, at the self-checkout registers.

She also told deputies she watched Young remove two items, a soda and a fan, from a shelf and then take them to customer service where he received a refund in the amount of $9.48 after he showed them a cell phone picture of a receipt.

Young walked out of the store with a shopping cart full of unpaid items including a scooter valued at $248, a dual navigation system valued at $119.87, and $160 worth of batteries. Deputies arrived and took Young into custody. Records show Young is a convicted felon out of Ohio.

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