Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Katie Nichole Shaffer, 35, of Alachua, and Janie Elizabeth Shaffner, 38, of Lake City were arrested yesterday and charged with scheming to defraud Walmart, a felony.

The two women worked in the online grocery department at the Walmart on NW 23rd Street; while assembling online orders from the shelves of the store in preparation for delivery to Walmart customers, they allegedly took items out to a vehicle for their own use. They were reportedly caught on video at least 22 times while taking items out of the store. In most cases, Shaffner actually pushed the cart out of the store, but both women allegedly placed the items in the cart. They reportedly stole about $1,400 in merchandise.

Post Miranda, both women reportedly admitted to the scheme and the thefts and implicated each other.

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Shaffer was arrested in Alachua County in 2015 on a fugitive warrant from Tennessee for kidnapping and theft, and she also has a criminal record in Arizona. She has no local criminal history, and Judge Thomas Jaworski released her on her own recognizance.

Shaffner has no criminal history, and Judge Jaworski released her on her own recognizance.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.