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Kingsport Police Department
200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Local Arrest Linked to $60,000 Tri-State Merchandise Return Scam | ||
| DATE: | December 4, 2015 | ||
| CASE #: | 15-026248 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| On December 3, 2015 at approximately 1:00 PM, Kingsport Police Patrol Officers were dispatched to PetSmart, located at 2003 North Eastman Road in Kingsport. Upon arrival, they encountered Courtney Star Weaver, who had been detained by store loss prevention personnel after being caught in the act of returning $165 in stolen merchandise. The stolen property consisted of flea and tick preventative medication and pet supplements. Further investigation determined that she had used a false name while signing for the merchandise return transaction.
She had returned the merchandise utilizing a counterfeit electronic receipt generated on her smart phone. Ms. Weaver was also found to be in possession of a small quantity of a white powdery substance believed to be Heroin, as well as multiple items of unlawful drug paraphernalia commonly used to ingest Heroin. An accomplice, identified as Kevin Eugene Clark, had knowingly driven Ms. Weaver to PetSmart to commit the theft. He was located in a rental car in the parking lot. He was also in possession of over $200 in cash that was received in an earlier fraudulent merchandise return scam. Inside the vehicle, officers located two additional packages of flea and tick preventative medication ($180 value) that had been stolen from another PetSmart location. A PetSmart national loss prevention representative briefed the officers on an ongoing investigation during which he had followed these individuals for several weeks across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Over the course of his investigation he had documented approximately $60,000 in thefts and fraudulent returns of merchandise from multiple PetSmart locations. Both individuals were arrested and transported to the Kingsport City Jail. Ms. Weaver was charged with Theft under $500 (Shoplifting), Possession of a Schedule I Drug (Heroin), Possession of Unlawful Drug Paraphernalia, and Criminal Impersonation. Mr. Clark was charged with two counts of Theft under $500. One count was for his role in the Kingsport incident, and the other count was for his possession of stolen property from an earlier incident. The stolen property, cash received from fraudulent returns, drugs, paraphernalia, and Ms. Weaver’s smart phone were all seized. This incident remains under investigation by the Kingsport Police Department in cooperation with multiple other law enforcement agencies and PetSmart personnel, with additional charges likely pending in other jurisdictions. |
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| SUSPECT #1 INFORMATION | |
| Name | Courtney Star Weaver |
| Age | Date of Birth 12/26/1976
38 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Female/White |
| Residency | 6934 Neuhoff Lane
Charlotte, NC |
| Charge(s) | 1) Theft Under $500 (Shoplifting)
2) Possession of a Schedule I Drug (Heroin) 3) Possession of Unlawful Drug Paraphernalia 4) Criminal Impersonation |
| SUSPECT #2 INFORMATION | |
| Name | Kevin Eugene Clark |
| Age | Date of Birth 9/4/1986
29 Years of Age |
| Gender/Race | Male/White |
| Residency | 830 Burnley Road
Charlotte, NC |
| Charge(s) | 1) Theft Under $500 (2 Counts) |
| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
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Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit |
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