Sean Patrick Chandler

WARSAW — Michigan man arrested for stealing $11,192.46 worth of electronics hidden in empty infant car seat boxes.

Sean Patrick Chandler, 26, 1576 Blue Water Highway, Ionia, Mich., is being charged with a level 5 felony of corrupt business influence and a level 6 felony of theft.

In November of 2015, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department responded to a call from Meijer loss prevention in regards to a theft of $11,192.46 worth of merchandise.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, three men entered Meijer and retrieved a cart and proceeded to the baby aisle. They removed two infant car seats from their boxes, then placed the empty boxes in their cart.

After walking to a secure electronic storage area, the men took a pair of bolt cutters and removed the padlock, then proceeded to load electronic equipment into the car seat boxes.

When the men finished loading the boxes they sealed them up, went to the cashier and paid for two infant car seats. As they were exiting the store the alarm was triggered and two cashiers walked over to investigate, but after looking at the boxes and the receipts they couldn’t figure out why the alarm had went off and let the men go.

Meijer’s loss prevention employee provided the officer with photos and in-store surveillance video of the three men. The employee also provided the officer with the  Meijer Organized Retail Crime Investigation Crime Bulletin detailing similar thefts with the same “modus operandi” that have occurred in other Meijer stores beginning in November through December 2015.

The Crime Bulletin identified four suspects that were involved in other Meijer organized crime thefts and the officer identified Chandler as one of the men.

Chandler is being held on a $10,250 surety and cash bond.