SWEETWATER COUNTY — Rock Springs resident Brian Jackson, who was accused of allegedly stealing merchandise from Walmart, pleaded not guilty to two felony charges.
The 49-year-old Rock Springs resident appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Suzannah Robinson Thursday afternoon for an arraignment to a felony charge of theft and a felony conspiracy to commit theft charge. If found guilty of both charges, Jackson could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary and/or a $20,000 fine. A trial date has been scheduled for October 2 at 9 a.m.
According to court documents, the charges stem from multiple incidents occurring over a three-month period in which Jackson and Roselyn Chavez allegedly stole nearly $7,000 in merchandise from Walmart.
The Asset Protection Agent at Walmart informed Greer Hodges of the Rock Springs Police Department on March 13 that they were conducting an investigation on Jackson and Chavez for a series of suspected ongoing thefts spanning over the last three months. The agent gave the officer surveillance videos and receipts that started on January 10, 2023 and ended with an incident from March 13, which is the date Jackson and Chaves were issued shoplifting summonses.
Court documents state that Walmart associates suspected Jackson and Chavez were not scanning all of their items at the self-checkout register. The Walmart agent said they located multiple incidents where Jackson and Chavez, together and occasionally alone, allegedly under-scanned merchandise at the self-checkout registers. This means that items were not scanned into the register but where bagged and pushed out of the store without being paid for.
According to the court documents, Walmart associates can look up transactions taking place at the store through an internal computer system and pinpoint transactions being made within the last 90 days. Video surveillance allegedly shows Jackson using the handheld scanner to scan merchandise while Chavez would put merchandise in the bags.
The agent’s investigation concluded that Jackson allegedly stole $2,118.13 worth of items in January, $3,018.94 in February, and $1,370.67 in March, for a total of $6,507.74. These amounts do not include the amount Jackson was charged for on March 13 when he was issued a summons for shoplifting, court documents state.
The total sum of allegedly shoplifted merchandise was $7,002.91, which includes the merchandise that Jackson and Chavez allegedly stole both together and separately.
Jackson will remain out on a $1,000 cash or surety bond. He was ordered not to make any contact with Walmart in Rock Springs or any of its employees. He will be allowed to travel to and from Utah for work-related purposes.
Jackson’s attorney Eric Phillips said that he suspects due to the publicity surrounding this case, there is a high likelihood they will be motioning for a change of venue. He said they are not to that point yet but he wanted to make the court aware.
Chavez pleaded not guilty to felony theft and felony conspiracy to commit theft on May 18, and faces the same maximum penalties. Chavez’s trial date is set for August 28.
