A UNIFORMED cop was caught swiping donuts and other items from Walmart self-checkout using the trick known as skip scanning.
The now former Kansas Highway Patrol trooper and National Guard chaplain was busted for shoplifting on duty, stuffing his bags with items while on duty.
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Ex-officer Mark Leenerts pleaded guilty to theft and official misconduct, costing him his badge and landing him on probation.
Leenerts, who resigned from the force amid the probe, was ultimately sentenced to 12 months probation.
He stole $317.88 worth of merchandise from Walmart stores in Topeka, The Topeka Capital Journal reported.
He used a self-checkout scam where he pretended to scan items, stacked products together to ring up just one, or used sleight of hand to bag un-scanned goods.
The disgraced trooper pulled the stunt at least 13 times between June and September 2023, often while wearing his uniform and carrying his duty weapon.
Investigators said he stole all sorts of items, from Hawaiian rolls and Lunchables to Oreos, Bomb Pops, M&Ms, Gatorade, deodorant, and even dog food.
Despite already being on administrative leave, Leenerts struck again, this time in his National Guard uniform, sneaking away with three extra boxes of doughnuts.
The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training revoked his certification last month, declaring he failed to meet moral character standards for law enforcement.
Topeka Police launched the investigation after Walmart’s asset protection team flagged repeated thefts at two stores.
A detective reviewing surveillance footage saw Leenerts bypassing the scanner and comparing receipts to the bagged items, confirming his scam.
Authorities say he was careful, if he accidentally double-scanned something, he called over an employee to correct it but never made that mistake with unscanned items.
Leenerts’ crimes cost him his career in both law enforcement and the National Guard, where he served as a chaplain for the 190th Air Refueling Wing.
A Facebook post from the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard at Forbes Field indicates that Leenerts had been the wing’s chaplain.
“The Kansas National Guard is aware of Captain Mark Leenerts’ conduct and have actively engaged our team to properly address this matter,” Jane Welch, a spokesperson for the Adjutant General’s Department told The U.S. Sun.
“We are unable to provide further details at this time because this is an active personnel issue.”
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets
- Security pegs
- Security cameras
- Signs warning about the impact of theft
- Receipt scanners
- Receipt checks
- Carts with locking technology
Kansas Highway Patrol said they backed both the criminal investigation and the certification review that ultimately led to his downfall.
Leenerts ducked the department’s internal probe by resigning, avoiding further scrutiny within the agency.
The Kansas National Guard acknowledged his misconduct, but officials declined to comment further, citing personnel issues, reported The Topeka Capital Journal.
Judge James Crowl handed down his probation sentence with an underlying year-long jail term if he violates his release terms.
On top of probation, Leenerts was slapped with a fine matching his stolen goods’ value and additional court fees.
Roughly a full page of the police affidavit remains redacted, leaving some details about what he said to officers under wraps.
It comes as another Walmart shopper from North Carolina has been banned from all of the retail chain’s stores after he was caught using a trick to steal.
Brent Adam Brooks was arrested on January 28 after trying to steal a Frigidaire ice maker.
In another case, a woman was caught on security cameras using an old watch battery barcode to scan expensive products for just $1 from a Walmart in Tennessee.
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