Canadian Man Gets Caught Stealing $64,000 From US Walmart Stores Using a Magic Trick: Feds

A man has been indicted for using sleight of hand to steal more than $64,000 in cash from Walmart locations across the United States.

Mohsen Akbari was arrested on Sept. 5 and faces charges for one count of wire fraud and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Akbari is from Canada but entered the United States on March 1, 2023, from South Korea on a visitor visa.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, Akbari had a routine in place to steal money from Walmart stores. He would start by making a "small purchase" and then tell the store's cashier that he and his family collect United States currency.

The 37-year-old would then ask the cashier to show him the bills in the cash register and then would slip some of the bills into his sleeves or pockets.

From March 1 through July 18, Akbari allegedly managed to steal more than $64,000 in cash from Walmart stores around the country. He would deposit the money in a U.S. bank account and then wire funds to his bank accounts in Canada.

Akbari could be facing up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, for the wire fraud charge, along with up to 10 years in prison and the same fine for the interstate transportation of stolen property charge.