Shoplifter used Kool-Aid packet to ring up $994 in charges, sheriff says

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida man is accused of using a 24-cent packet of Kool-Aid to rack up nearly $1,000 in fraudulent charges at a Walmart in North Naples.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office arrested Bradley Young, 37, on charges of grand theft and shoplifting.

Deputies said Young scanned merchandise at the Walmart with the Kool-Aid packet hidden in his hand. Each item rang up for 24 cents. The final bill ended up being just under $25. The goodies were really worth $994.13, the sheriff's office said.

A loss prevention worker at Walmart recognized Young from a previous situation. She followed him around the store and watched him in the self-checkout lane. The worker said Young also took a soda and fan from the shelf and returned them at customer service after showing workers there a photo of the receipt on his phone.

Shortly before deputies caught up with him, investigators said Young left Walmart with a cart full of unpaid items, which included a $248 scooter, $160 worth of batteries, and a dual-navigation system worth $120.

Young is now in jail. He's a convicted felon out of Ohio, the sheriff's office said.