Two Arrested in Target Theft Scheme at Salina Store

Salina Police officers responded to a theft report at Target involving a barcode-swapping scheme that occurred on multiple dates, including January 11, January 17, and January 19.

On January 19, store staff detained two male suspects before they were able to leave the store. Employees reported the suspects had been removing barcodes from lower-priced items and placing them on trading card merchandise, including sports cards and Pokémon-style cards, in order to purchase the items at a reduced price.

Officers recovered all merchandise involved in the January 19 incident, including two boxes of sports cards valued at approximately $100 and two packs of Pokémon-style cards valued at approximately $10, for a total recovered value of $110.

Following the investigation, officers arrested 23-year-old Austin D. Martin and 24-year-old Colby R. Flowers, both listed with Fort Riley addresses. Both were charged with felony theft under a common scheme statute, which allows multiple related theft incidents to be combined into a felony charge.

The investigation remains ongoing.