A Schuylkill County man was jailed recently after police say he walked out of a Saint Clair gas station with nearly $300 in kratom tablets and a THC vape stuffed in his pockets and waistband.
Kody Kirkland, 34, of Frackville, is charged with felony retail theft and felony receiving stolen property in connection with the Aug. 12 incident.
Saint Clair Police say they were dispatched to the Sunoco on S. Second St. around 9:30 p.m. that night for a reported retail theft.
The store manager told police that a man had been concealing merchandise inside the store and was still on the property, police said. The manager and the officer went into the store together, and the manager pointed out the man he had seen concealing the items, according to police.
Police made contact with the man, who identified himself as Kirkland, police said.
When the officer asked him what had happened, Kirkland said, “I made a mistake,” according to police. Kirkland told the officer he had paid for some items but then concealed additional merchandise in his pockets, police said.
Store staff confronted Kirkland about the unpaid merchandise, and he emptied his pockets and placed the items on the counter, police said.
During a search incident to arrest, Wallace found a “Flying Horse THCA, THCP, Delta 11 Live Resin Disposable Vape” concealed in the front of Kirkland’s waistband, police said. The officer recovered the vape and turned all of the merchandise over to store staff so they could total up its value.
Store staff put the value of the unpaid merchandise at $289.25. Along with the vape, the recovered items included six packs of Designer Chewable Kratom Alkaloid Tablets, three packs of Hazy Perks Superior Kratom Tablets, one pack of Aura Advanced Kratom Tablets, and two other pieces of merchandise, according to police.
A check of Kirkland’s criminal history showed three prior guilty convictions for retail theft, police say.
Kirkland was arraigned the night of Aug. 21 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli, who set bail at $5,000. Unable to post bail, Kirkland was committed to Schuylkill County Prison.
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