Beatrice Woman Charged with Shoplifting

Lindsay A. Ellis, 38, of Beatrice, was arraigned in Jefferson County Court on Thursday, October 20. The defendant appeared via webcam, in the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge.Ellis is charged with shoplifting with a value of less than $500, third offense. Prior convictions make the charge a class 4 felony that carries a possible penalty of two years in prison, 12 months of post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine. The defendant may also be responsible for restitution. In addition, he is charged with false reporting, a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.Ellis requested court-appointed counsel and Public Defender Scott Gropp was assigned to the case.On Saturday, October 9, Jefferson County were dispatched to the Walmart in Fairbury at approximately 6:13 p.m., responding to a report of possible shoplifting. According to Walmart's Asset Protection Officer, a female suspect had triggered an alarm as she was leaving the store. The Officer stopped the subject, who refused to give her name. The subject was pulling a wheeled suitcase that, noted in the Probable Cause Affidavit, “The plastic lock on the suitcase had been tampered with and tied back with a knot with the same plastic lock.”The Asset Protection Officer opened the suitcase and reported that, inside, were numerous items of clothing. Subject had a receipt which showed that some, but not all, of the items had been paid for.According to the Deputy that responded to the call, the subject identified herself as Lindsay Clayton of Seneca, Kansas, “I had dispatch run her for wants and warrant. She had no warrants and no driving record.”The Asset Protection Officer asked for the subject's social security number, as she was being banned from Walmart. Dispatch ran a check of the social security number and it came back as belonging to a different name, a male.The Deputy wrote in the affidavit, “I then contacted Seneca Kansas Law Enforcement and asked if they have ever had contact with Lindsay Clayton. They stated no they have not. I also contacted the surrounding counties around Seneca, and those counties have never had contact or records of a female named Lindsay Clayton.”Another, off-duty, deputy was at Walmart at that time and recognized the subject as Lindsay Ellis. A check of NCJIS (Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System) confirmed her identity.Ellis was then placed under arrest.

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