Students Work $100,000 Scam On Wal-Mart

A least 100 high school students from some of Atlanta’s wealthiest suburbs may have stolen $100,000 worth of merchandise from a Wal-Mart by getting huge discounts from friends who worked as cashiers, police say.

The items included video games worth $150 and automobile accessories.

Some of the students may have tried to return the merchandise to other stores for cash, police said.

Fulton County police said Friday that the case is still under investigation. No charges have been filed.

The thefts began eight to 12 months ago and mushroomed as the students discovered they could get away with it, Detective Bill Putman said.

“It’s a rarity that it’s this large,” he said. “Usually they quit before they reach this amount.”

Putman said many of the students bragged about the scam.

Five former cashiers and dozens of students from two high schools in Alpharetta and Duluth may have been involved, said Police Capt. Donald Cook. Both schools are near the store, which is in a booming area of Atlanta’s northern suburbs where houses sell for up to $1 million.

Some students admitted they knew about the scam but didn’t say anything.

“I didn’t know who would take me seriously,” said Chattahoochee High School senior Patty Janeczko.

Wal-Mart officials had no comment.