Alpena Man Arrested for Shoplifting
On Monday June 12th a trooper from the Michigan State Police Alpena Post was called to the Walmart store on the M–32 to take a report of retail fraud.
An associate from loss prevention observed a man on five different occasions within the last year, stealing dog food and other items from the store. The suspect, 54–year–old Andrew Paul Fernelius from Alpena, would make a purchase of medications at the pharmacy using his driver’s license as identification and then leave the store with items in his shopping cart he did not pay for. Most of the stolen merchandise was dog food and other pet supplies.
In total, the store identified over $1,200 in stolen merchandise. A report was submitted to the Alpena County Prosecutor’s Office and an arrest warrant was authorized on July 6, 2023. Fernelius was informed of the arrest warrant and turned himself in at the Alpena County Jail on July 11th. He was arraigned yesterday in the 88th District Court of Alpena for one count of First Degree Retail Fraud. His bond was set at $5,000.
