Husband of employee accused of stealing from Sam’s Club faces felony charges
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IDAHO FALLS — The husband of a woman accused of stealing thousands from the Idaho Falls Sam’s Club is also facing felony charges.
Enrique Molina Lopez, 30, is charged with felony grand theft and felony burglary after police say he stole at least $1,000 from the store, according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com. Lopez’s wife, 27-year-old Melissa Ricks, is also charged with felony grand theft after she admitted to staff and police to stealing at least $13,000 from the store over several years.
Idaho Falls Police wrote in a probable cause affidavit that on Dec. 24, staff at Sam’s Club saw Lopez taking items from the shelves to the returns cashier and exchanging them for store credit cards. Officers cited Lopez that day with misdemeanor petty theft.
Further investigation led Sam’s Club loss prevention calling the police again on Dec. 23, after Ricks admitted to stealing thousands from the store. Ricks told police she would load money onto gift cards and return them to the store for cash, according to court documents.
RELATED | Police say employee admitted to stealing thousands from Sam’s Club
In a written statement, Ricks said, “We have estimated over two years it is $20,000 worth.”
Loss prevention staff calculated the total Rick’s allegedly stole at $13,120. The amount of money police suspect Lopez of stealing is unclear.
Prosecutors later amended Lopez’s charge to the felonies and summoned him to court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 11.
Lopez was never taken into custody like his wife, who was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. Ricks was released to pre-trial services awaiting a status conference Tuesday.
If convicted of grand theft, the couple could spend a minimum of one to 20 years in prison. Lopez is also facing an additional 10 years if convicted of felony burglary.