Moses Lake man sought for Walmart return scam

EPHRATA - A man connected to a string of burglaries at different Walmarts and other businesses failed to appear in Grant County Superior Court.

The Grant County Prosecutor's Office issued Friday a bench warrant for Michael I. Meriwether, 28, of Moses Lake, after failed to appear for a hearing two consecutive days.

Meriwether is a white male, stands 6-foot-11, weighs 200 pounds, and has brown eyes and short brown hair. His trial is scheduled for later this month.

Meriwether is charged with 17 counts that include leading organized crime, money laundering, first-degree trafficking in stolen property, second-degree burglary and second-degree identity theft.

The crimes allegedly occurred from Aug. 24 to Nov. 28, 2012.

On Nov. 28, Ephrata police were dispatched to Walmart for a reported theft.

Walmart asset protection employees said they were reportedly chasing three suspects and tackled one, but he was able to escape.

Police found Meriwether with his girlfriend, Tanya Foster, on state Route 282 and Nat Washington Way.

According to court documents, Meriwether stated that they had been in the store when the other accomplice, later identified as Troy Meseberg, was tackled.

The two were reportedly detained by police and transported back to Walmart.

According to Walmart asset protection, the suspects would buy items, keep them, come back at a later date with a receipt, load a cart with identical items and return them for money.

Meriwether initially stated that he was shopping by himself, but had forgotten his debit card, so he went outside to tell Meseberg to pay for the items.

Asset protection reportedly identified the items in the cart matched those on the receipt and that Meseberg was given $105.50.

According to the police report, Meriwether allegedly changed his story and said that Meseberg had devised the scam and that he could help police located him.

Meriwether was reportedly released into Walmart to try and contact Meseberg, where police soon lost sight of him.

Police reportedly continued to watch the vehicle Foster was waiting in and observed Meseberg enter the vehicle and leave Walmart.

According to court documents, when police tried to stop the vehicle Meseberg fled on foot across the road and hid in sagebrush.

When Meseberg was arrested police allegedly found $105.50 in cash on him and a smoking device with "green vegetable matter."

Meseberg was booked into jail for second-degree burglary, second-degree robbery and resisting arrest.

Foster was booked into jail for complicity to the burglary and robbery and for rendering criminal assistance.

Meriwether was arrested in December in Moses Lake and was transported to Ephrata Police Department where he gave a taped statement.

Meriwether stated that they had allegedly been conducting the receipt scam for five to six months.