CLEARFIELD – An employee of the Walmart Distribution Center in Woodland pleaded guilty for his part in a scheme to steal over $25,000 worth of iPhones Monday during sentencing court.
Police say Kyle Adam Jasper, 21, of Smoke Run and Jaron Christopher Powell, 22, of Houtzdale, were working when they put several boxes containing the phones onto a conveyor belt to be loaded into an empty trailer in October of 2021.
Jasper was sentenced by President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to three years probation for misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking. In May Powell pleaded guilty to the same charge with the same sentence.
Jasper must pay restitution of $12,600.
Ammerman warned him not to come back into court with another theft case.
According to the affidavit, shortly after the theft, the manager started receiving complaints from several local Walmart stores saying they were not receiving the phones as expected.
Around that same time, another employee approached the manager to report he had purchased a phone from one of the defendants.
This witness said he was working the same shift as Jasper and Powell when he saw them putting the boxes with the phones onto the belt and once the boxes were in an empty trailer, another employee removed the phones from the center.
The third person involved was also questioned by police.
She reportedly admitted to taking the phones from the center in a bag loaded by Jasper and Powell. She stated that they took all of the phones from her, once they were outside.
A total of 21 phones were missing with a total value of $25,200, according to the report.
Jasper and Powell were originally charged with one count each of felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.