A Keokuk man is facing a felony theft charge after authorities say he stole more than $1,700 worth of trading cards from the Walmart Supercenter over the course of a month.
According to court records, 39-year-old Taylor Dickens was arrested March 12 by the Burlington Police Department and charged with second-degree theft, a class D felony.
The investigation began Feb. 4 when the West Burlington Police Department responded to a report of shoplifting at Walmart. Loss prevention staff told officers Dickens was suspected of repeatedly under-ringing merchandise at self-checkout kiosks.
Police later reviewed 19 incident reports and security videos tied to alleged thefts occurring between Jan. 1 and Feb. 3. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage showed Dickens scanning some trading card packages while bagging additional packs that had not been paid for before leaving the store.
Authorities say the value of the stolen merchandise in each incident ranged from about $84 to more than $169, with the total loss estimated at $1,766.02.
Dickens was released from custody the day after his arrest after posting a $5,000 bond. Court records show he pleaded not guilty to the charge last month.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 14 at the Des Moines County Courthouse, with a jury trial set to begin Sept. 29.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.