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CLEARFIELD -- An Altoona man accused of being involved with a theft ring targeting Walmart stores waived his right to a preliminary hearing during Centralized Court in Clearfield County Wednesday.
John Wayne Setser, 32, is charged with felony conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property in relation to thefts at the Clearfield Walmart. He remains in the Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Previously, Tammi Marie Koch, 37, also of Altoona, was arrested after she returned to the Clearfield Walmart in December.
According to Koch's affidavit of probable cause, she was part of a larger investigation into thefts at several Walmart stores both in and out of Pennsylvania.
Koch was identified as the "main female involved."
A Walmart employee on a task force told police Koch and a man later identified as Setser "pushed a cart full of merchandise worth $1,664.49 past all points of sale" and made no effort to pay on Sept. 23.
Surveillance video reportedly shows the pair filling up a cart with clothing, household items, computer accessories and other items before they walk out through the self-checkout area with their cart and leave the store.
The alarm went off, but they did not stop and continued to the parking lot where they loaded everything in a white Toyota sedan.
In November, Koch and two others were allegedly in the store together and took over $2,100 in merchandise.
Later Koch admitted the man with her at that time was Travis Scott Chichy, 43, of Altoona, according to Chichy's affidavit.
She stated that he put "makeup on his tattoos and covered them to avoid being identified."
On that November day, he reportedly filled a cart separate from Koch with merchandise totaling $1,582.83.
Chichy is now also charged with felony conspiracy, retail theft and receiving stolen property, according to online court documents that list the case as inactive.