Bellefonte Man Accused of Theft, Drug Possession in Patton Township

A Bellefonte man accused of trying to steal from Walmart also allegedly was in possession of an illegal narcotic when stopped by police.

According to a criminal complaint, Patton Township Police were called to the store at 1655 N. Atherton St. on Tuesday where store employees had stopped Dominick Garretson, 37, who allegedly tried to walk out with $574.81 of merchandise. Police say loss prevention staff had followed the man around the store for three hours and observed him concealing items in Walmart shopping bags and a backpack he also took from inside the store.

He allegedly took a cart full of unpaid merchandise through the exit and was stopped in the vestibule. He was reportedly cooperative as employees led him to the loss prevention office.

Garretson, though, told police he was doing a job, according to the complaint. Police say Garretson told them he received an email asking him to be a ‘secret shopper,’ and that his job was to establish flaws with the store’s loss prevention system. He believed he would be paid for this work, he reportedly told police.

Police said a criminal history check found Garretson had four prior retail theft offenses.

After he was taken into custody, police allegedly found a small jar containing a white powder. A narcotics field test of the powder was positive for amphetamine, according to the complaint, and it was sent to a lab for further testing.

Garretson was charged with one count of retail theft, a third-degree felony because of multiple prior theft offenses. He also was charged with misdemeanor counts receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

He was arraigned before District Judge Carmine Prestia. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 1.