Nicole Ann Wetli

WARSAW — A Pierceton woman was recently arrested after allegedly stealing items from Walmart and returning them in exchange for shopping cards.

Nicole Ann Wetli, 28, 8280 E. US 30 #5, Pierceton, is being charged with corrupt business influence, a level 5 felony; and four counts of theft, all class A misdemeanors.

On Oct. 22, 2017, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department responded to a theft at Walmart. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with Walmart’s loss prevention officer, who said two women and a man had been working together to steal items from the store on several occasions. The three would then return the items they stole for shopping cards, court paperwork said.

According to court documents, the loss prevention officer said the three people stole and returned items in a 21-day period for a total loss of $763.53.

On Oct. 5, 2017, a man and woman entered Walmart with a backpack. The two selected several cosmetics items, concealed the items in the backpack and left the store without paying. The second woman, later identified as Wetli, entered Walmart with the stolen items, returned them and received $153.96 on a shopping card, according to court paperwork.

On Oct. 8, 2017, the man, woman, and Wetli again stole cosmetics items by concealing them in a backpack and leaving the store without paying. Wetli returned the stolen items and received $170.67 on a shopping card, the report said.

On Oct. 10, 2017, the man, woman, and Wetli went to Walmart and stole fabric items.

On Oct. 11, 2017, the man, woman, and Wetli stole cosmetics a third time and returned the items in exchange for a $176.09 shopping card.

In this case, Wetli was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Aug. 5, 2019, with a $3,000 surety and cash bond.