CHEROKEE COUNTY GEORGIA, A Georgia elementary school assistant principal has been arrested after authorities say she stole nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise from a Walmart using a self-checkout “stacking” scheme.
Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, was taken into custody Monday by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office after investigators were alerted that she had allegedly been stealing items from a Walmart in Woodstock, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, over a period of more than two months.
Investigators said Shaw, an assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School, is accused of taking 98 items valued at $943.97 between November and December. Authorities allege she used a method at self-checkout kiosks in which she placed multiple items on top of one another and scanned only one item before leaving the store.
A Walmart employee reportedly provided surveillance footage of the alleged thefts to authorities on Jan. 12 and used a driver’s license database to identify Shaw as the suspect.
Shaw was booked into the Cherokee County jail and charged with one felony count of shoplifting. She was later released the same day on a $4,875 bond.
Free Home Elementary School officials confirmed that Shaw has been placed on administrative leave while both internal and law enforcement investigations continue.
Shaw has worked in education for more than two decades and previously held leadership roles as an assistant principal at other elementary schools. She had also been recognized on the school district’s website for bringing experience and dedication to her position.
