Video: Woman busted after playing shoplifting game, later charged with drug trafficking

PALM COAST, Fla. (TND) — A "concerned citizen" who reported a shoplifter at a Walmart is being credited with helping catch somebody who's now facing some more serious charges: trafficking methamphetamine and other narcotics.

Authorities in Florida were told a woman “had passed all points of sale and refused to show her receipt for a cart full of items,” early last Monday evening, March 25.

Then, they reported being told she put “the stolen items” in a car but then ran away “once she noticed someone watching her.”

Deputies in the parking lot found “the vehicle matching the description” and “observed stolen items on the back seat.

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“Deputies then observed a female fitting the suspect’s description walking towards the store.”

WARNING: Video of McCann before and after her arrest, along with showing what deputies found, contains some harsh language.

Authorities released video of what happened next: their conversation with the suspect, Amber McCann, as well as what they found in the car.

McCann “admitted that she carried a loaded cart full of stolen items to a car.

“She claimed that it was a random car she found and placed the stolen items and her purse inside when she saw law enforcement arriving.”

Soon after, McCann corrected herself about the car and gave deputies details about the shoplifting.

“She was playing a game called ‘21,’” she said, “where someone grabs as much merchandise from a store and walks out without paying for them, while trying not to get caught.

“After being secured, she changed her story and said the vehicle had not been random, but in fact was a rental car that belonged to her boyfriend.”

Deputies went to remove the stolen merchandise from the car but soon stumbled upon more than just shoplifting.

“Deputies detected a clear and distinct odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle,” they said. Then, “During a probable cause search, they located a partially burnt marijuana cigarette in the center console.

“Additional baggies containing marijuana, along with a digital scale, hashish, a glass pipe with burnt residue, and empty baggies were found in the trunk of the vehicle.

“They also located a locked bag which contained two plastic baggies containing a clear, crystal-like substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine, and another baggie containing two yellow tablets identified as alprazolam, which is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

“Inside a locked safe, deputies located various 1-ounce silver bars and rounds, copper bars, and a 1-gram platinum bar.

“In total, deputies recovered four bags containing methamphetamine, which weighed a combined 62 grams.”

McCann wasn’t happy, handcuffed behind her back in the back of the patrol car.

She’s charged with grand theft shoplifting, since the store manager said the stolen items were worth $1,030.

Her drug charges are possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of hashish, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alprazolam, and trafficking of methamphetamine.

Bond for McCann, 30, was set at $34,000. She has not been released from jail.