WARSAW — Warrants have been served on two people involved in multiple thefts and corrupt business influence dating back to late 2017.

Paul Larry Luna, 41, with addresses of both 207 Pigeon St., Ligonier, and 4172 W. Crystal Lake Road, Warsaw, is being charged with corrupt business influence, a level 5 felony, and theft, a level 6 felony.

Roxanna Nicole Prater, 33, 900 West 2nd St. 3, Ligonier, is being charged with corrupt business influence, a level 5 felony, and theft, a level 6 felony. 

On Dec. 30, 2017, the Warsaw Police Department responded to a series of thefts that occurred at the Warsaw Walmart. An employee advised that Luna and Prater were involved in a coordinating scheme to steal merchandise from the store on seven different occasions during November and December 2017. The total amount stolen was valued at $875.54.

The Walmart employee provided surveillance video and paperwork to show that the merchandise had been stolen and returned with no receipt for Walmart gift cards.

On Nov. 18, 2017, Luna and Prater worked in a coordinated effort to remove the spider wrap from headphones and other items. Luna concealed merchandise under his shirt and Prater concealed items in her purse. The two then headed to the self-checkout where Prater did not scan several food items or the concealed merchandise.

On Nov. 19, 2017, the two return to Walmart and Prater returns the stolen headphones with no receipt for $154.05. The two then select more electronics, open the boxes and discard of the boxes. Luna and Prater use the self-checkout again and fail to scan or pay for a shirt, cereal, milk, three bottles of Mountain Dew, chips and three unknown items.

The affidavit of probable cause goes on to outline the other incidents of stealing and returning merchandise which occur on Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 5, Dec. 6 and Dec. 8. The couple returned several additional pair of headphones, a heater and a sheet set and stole makeup, a cell phone, an Apple TV streaming device, more headphones and jewelry.

During the incident on Dec. 6, Walmart employees approached Luna as he was attempting to place unpaid for merchandise into a duffel bag. The employees discovered earbuds and a Roku streaming device inside the bag.

Prater has a pending criminal case from Meijer in Kosciusko County Superior Court.

Both Luna and Prater were booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on May 7.