GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A man is facing dozens of retail theft charges after investigators say he stole merchandise from a Walmart in Glendale roughly 70 times by swapping barcodes from low-cost items onto higher-priced products.
According to court documents, the investigation began Wednesday when a Glendale police officer was asked to assist in apprehending a suspect at the Northern Crossing Walmart at 55th and Northern avenues.
The man was suspected of shoplifting through “ticket swapping,” a scheme in which a cheaper barcode is used to pay less for more expensive merchandise.
Walmart employees told police they had seen the suspect, identified as Harold Carlson, repeatedly in the toy aisle over several days, raising concerns about possible fraudulent activity.
As part of the investigation, the officer and Walmart security reviewed surveillance video that reportedly showed Carlson selecting items before returning to the toy aisle. There, court documents say, Carlson manipulated a G.I. Joe item after reaching into his pocket.
Carlson then went to self-checkout and attempted to pay for the merchandise, police said. When he scanned the G.I. Joe, valued at nearly $43, the barcode allegedly rang up as Cup Noodles priced at less than $1.
After Carlson finished checking out, the officer confronted him, according to the documents. Carlson consented to a search, and the officer reportedly found two Cup Noodles’ barcodes with double-sided tape in his pocket.
Investigators say additional surveillance footage showed Carlson using the same method to purchase higher-priced items at significantly reduced prices.
Court documents state Carlson admitted to using a Maruchan barcode during the incident and confessed to committing similar acts multiple times to save money.
Between Dec. 28, 2025, and Wednesday, investigators reported roughly 70 incidents. The approximate dollar amount for 40 of those incidents was $1,007.28.
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