On December 16^th, 2009, just before 2:00pm, Shenandoah Police Detective Sergeant Mark Denham arrested two suspects for theft after catching them red handed taking merchandise that they had not purchased at the Sam’s Club located at 19091 IH-45 North.

The tool in this crime; forged receipts made to look like the very ones given to paying customers when they actually buy goods from Sam’s Club.  The suspects are identified as 41 year old Michael Austin Lynn and 30 year old Erik Shawn Peeples, both from Spring.  Apparently this is not the first time at least one of the duo has engaged in this brand of theft.  During the past few months, Mr. Lynn has hit this Sam’s Club no less than three other times, racking up close to $7,500.00 in stolen cash.  

As it usually does, greed got the better of these two as Sam’s Club Management and the Shenandoah Police Department began to unravel the scheme.  Expecting the thieves to return to the store for another haul, Detective Sergeant Denham was conducting surveillance outside as the two reappeared.  Staying in continuous telephone contact with the Market Asset Protection manager, who insured that the two culprits were monitored during their fraudulent transaction, Detective Sergeant Denham waited for Lynn and Peeples return to their vehicle with the stolen merchandise.  After a peaceful arrest and some excellent police work including the search of one of the suspect’s homes, Detective Sergeant Denham determined that Mr. Lynn was indeed printing up some remarkable authentic looking receipts.  Ironically, it seems that Mr. Lynn was in the process of training Mr. Peeples on how to become a better thief.  Both of them will have time to study the issue further as they sit in the Montgomery County Jail.  Mr. Lynn was charged with a State Jail Felony Theft of Property and received a bond of $6,000.  Mr. Peeples was charge with a Class A Misdemeanor Theft of Property and a $750 bond was set. 

According to a study commissioned by Ernst & Young, LLP in 2003, Retailers can expect to lose approximately $46 billion annually to theft, nationwide.

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