A Schuylkill County man is facing criminal charges after police say he repeatedly selected items from grocery store shelves and returned them for cash using old receipts.
Christopher Kristoff, 27, of Pottsville, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft by deception.
Police in Pottsville say they were called on Aug. 17 to Boyer’s Food Market for a reported theft. A store manager told police that two fraudulent refund incidents involving the same man had occurred in recent days.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed Kristoff entering the store empty-handed, walking through the aisles to gather items listed on an old receipt, and bringing those items to the customer service desk to receive cash refunds for items he had not purchased.
Police allege the first incident took place just before 8 a.m. on Aug. 13, when Kristoff received $21.34 in cash for returning two packs of Orbit gum, a Snickers ice cream, a Dasani water, a package of Beefsteak rye bread, and Artesano buns.
The second incident occurred just before 10 a.m. on Aug. 16, when Kristoff allegedly received $33.96 in cash after returning four Fairlife Supermilks and a package of Tastykakes, police said.
A few days later, police say they made contact with Kristoff in the area of Discovery Park. Police say Kristoff admitted to taking unpurchased items off store shelves to return them for cash, saying he’d done so multiple times at Boyer’s as well as at other stores.
Kristoff is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 19 before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.
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