If you're "desperate and humiliated" because you're 35 years old and living with your mother, getting caught stealing more than $45,000 worth of merchandise from 25 different Walmart stores probably won't remedy that.
Still, that's what police are saying Jason Dee Draper did to land him in jail on 28 felony charges, according to court documents obtained by New Times.
Draper -- who police say has a criminal history in Washington and Idaho -- has been hitting up Walmart stores throughout Arizona since January 7, loading up a cart with goods like LCD televisions, laptops, car audio units, and Dyson vacuums, and putting that cart in the store's garden center, according to the documents.
Draper would then pull his car up to the garden center, dismantle the alarm from a door, and make off with his load.
Many of the items were found at pawn shops across the Valley -- and state -- and Draper later admitted to police that he used Craigslist to sell of the stuff, too, according to the court documents.
After allegedly committing more than 30 thefts at 25 different Arizona Walmart stores, making off with more than $45,000 worth of merchandise and damaging $8,000 worth of the alarms, police arrested Draper yesterday.
"He admitted to stealing items and selling them so he had money because he was desperate and humiliated due to being 35 years of age and living with his mother who was supporting him," court documents state.
A Chandler police spokesman adds that detectives believe a meth habit may be a contributing factor to the stealing spree.
Draper's mother was cooperative with police, as several stolen items were "gathered" from her home, according to the court documents.
More stolen items were found in Draper's car, which police say he had spray-painted three different colors since starting his stealing spree.
The charges: seven counts of burglary, seven counts of burglary tools possession, 15 counts of organized retail theft, nine counts of trafficking stolen property, and 15 misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing.
