CALLAWAY — Deputies have arrested a man accused of running a variety of schemes to defraud local Wal-Marts, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.
BCSO responded to the Wal-Mart in Callaway on Saturday afternoon after a man suspected of stealing from several local Wal-Mart stores was spotted inside the store. The store’s Loss Prevention staff advised deputies the person was responsible for several felony theft cases at stores in Callaway, Panama City and Lynn Haven. Deputies made contact with the man as he sat in the seating area at the McDonald’s located inside Wal-Mart, BCSO reported.
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Reginald Gainer, 26, initially became angry as deputies questioned him, stating he was “the wrong guy,” BCSO said, but deputies had witness statements and pictures obtained by Wal-Mart security cameras of the suspect committing a theft. The suspect gave deputies a fictitious name and denied being able to remember his Social Security number. He was then detained for providing false information to law enforcement conducting an investigation.
According to BCSO officials, in December, Gainer returned stolen merchandise for gift cards and used receipts from purchased merchandise to return additional stolen items for reimbursement.
Gainer was charged with two counts of dealing in stolen property and booked into the Bay County Jail. Additional charges from other cases are expected, BCSO said.