A Westover man with a history of theft and fraud charges, was arrested after allegedly shoplifting items from Menard’s at least three times this year.
According to court documents, Westover Police were called to Menard’s for a shoplifting in progress on June 28 and apprehended two suspects with concealed goods, one of whom was identified as Edward Allen Estle, 30, of Westover.
Management at Menard’s was able to provide officers with a loss prevention report for the June 28 incident as well as two other incidents that had previously occurred in 2023 — on May 18 and June 22.
Police were able to secure surveillance footage inside the store for each of the reported thefts, which allegedly shows Estle entering the home improvement store on each of the dates, grabbing goods and concealing them.
According to the criminal complaints, Estle allegedly stole $266.69 worth of merchandise on June 28, $329.92 on June 22, and $333.83 on May 18.
Upon reviewing Estle’s criminal history, officers discovered he had several prior convictions for shoplifting, including May 7, 2021, July 6, 2021, and March 22, 2023.
According to West Virginia state code, “upon a third or subsequent shoplifting conviction, regardless of the value of the merchandise, the person is guilty of a felony.”
Estle is charged with three counts of third-offense shoplifting and three counts of conspiracy to shoplift for the three thefts from Menard’s. He was arraigned Tuesday in Monongalia County Magistrate Court, where bond was set at $30,000.
He was previously indicted by a Monongalia County grand jury in January for third-offense shoplifting and three counts of access device fraud for which he has not yet been tried. Due to his latest arrest, he is being held at North Central Regional Jail without bond for violating the terms of his previous release.
