Man banned from Walmarts for stealing, allegedly does it again

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga — An Atlanta man already banned from Gwinnett County Walmarts for stealing, is accused of stealing again, this time in Roswell.

Clenard Benford, 55, faces felony theft charges after Roswell police said he stole nearly $60,000 worth of plastic produce pallets from behind the Walmart on Mansell Road over an eight-month period.

“He had a big, moving type truck and he would go to the back of the store and collect the plastic pallets that are typically loaded with produce,” Officer Lisa Holland told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik.

Holland said Benford took them to be recycled.

Holland said Walmart employees didn’t notice the thefts at first.

“It’s not as common and it’s hard to get caught,” said Holland.  “Employees weren’t stopping him while he was there at Walmart because he looked like he was a legit person picking these pallets up.”

Eventually Holland said store managers caught on, and when Benford showed up at the store last week, they called police, who quickly pulled Benford over with a truck full of the stolen pallets.

“I think that is so crazy,” said shopper Amber Thompson.  “Plastic?  I don’t know what the world is coming to and what you could possibly do with that.”

Officials told Petchenik that Benford had been convicted of similar crimes there and his sentence included being banned from all Walmart stores and parking lots in the county.

Benford has bonded out of the Fulton County Jail.

Petchenik called Benford through a phone number he found, but nobody returned his call for comment.

WSBTV