WATERVILLE — A Waterville man barred from Walmart because he’s stolen from the business so many times is back in jail after allegedly shoplifting from the store again.

Bradley Steven Dickey, 28, of 181 College Ave., took several DVDs and fled Walmart around 1:30 p.m. Thursday while wearing a hooded sweatshirt, according to Police Chief Joseph Massey. Store employees followed him but lost track of him behind the Elm Plaza shopping center.

Police identified the shoplifter as Dickey from store surveillance images. They said they are familiar with him because he has been charged with stealing from numerous stores in the city, Massey said.

“One of the things he does is he takes the DVDs, takes off the wrappers, goes to Bull Moose Music (at Elm Plaza) and pawns or sells them,” Massey said. “The officers went to Bull Moose and, sure enough, someone had just pawned or sold to Bull Moose a number of DVDs.”

Dickey’s friend Shawn Lawrence, 26, of 92 Western Ave., took the DVDs to Bull Moose this time, according to Massey.

While police were looking for Dickey, Sgt. William Bonney saw Lawrence’s car in the nearby VIP Discount Auto Center parking lot across Main Street from Elm Plaza and Dickey was in the car, Massey said.

“His sweatshirt and hoodie were in the car and officers also recovered $92 and change, which is what Bull Moose paid them for the new DVDs,” he said.

Dickey was charged with Class C felony theft, violation of conditions of release because he was on bail, and criminal trespass because a trespass notice had been served against him, ordering him not to go to Walmart, Massey said. He was taken to the Kennebec County jail in Augusta and is scheduled to appear May 24 in Waterville District Court.

Lawrence was summoned and charged with Class E theft by receiving stolen property and is scheduled to appear in Waterville District Court on June 3, Massey said.

On both March 19 and 26, police charged Dickey with Class C theft for allegedly stealing from Walmart, he said. Massey said police charged him with theft from Hannaford last year. Dickey also was charged with theft Oct. 9 and again Nov. 19, both from Walmart, Massey said, and Winslow police charged him with Class C theft Dec. 2.

All those cases remain pending in court.

“We have a long history and because of his prior record, each time he commits a theft, it’s automatically a felony,” Massey said. “Unfortunately, he keeps on getting out of jail.” 

Amy Calder can be contacted at 861-9247 or at:

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17