By Ray King
Two Jefferson County men accused of being involved in a scam at the Walmart Supercenter for several weeks were arrested Monday following an investigation by police.
Montrell Vanderbilt. 27, and Jermaine Scott, 31, were taken into custody after police located a vehicle the men were using and conducted a traffic stop.
During a court hearing Wednesday, Deputy Prosecutor Brittaney Akel said on July 12, a police detective was contacted by an asset protection officer at Walmart about the scam that had been going on between June 28 and July 11. The store officer was able to provide still shots of the suspects that were taken from store video and the men were identified as Vanderbilt and Scott.
Detective Dante Nicholson reported that on July 15, officers viewed video tape and obtained a license number of the vehicle which was traced to the dealer who sold the vehicle. Officers pinged the vehicle and determined that it was at an address on Sulphur Springs Road.
Akel said neither Vanderbilt or Scott have prior convictions but are the subject of investigations in other locations.
Because of that, Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set bonds of $50,000 each for Vanderbilt and Scott on probable cause of 10 counts of theft of property. Vanderbilt will also be charged with felony fleeing in a vehicle.
Both men were told to come back to court Aug. 14.
