Hunter
01/20/25
An Iowa City couple is accused of stealing hundreds of dollars in items using a “skip-scanning” scheme at a local grocery store.
Police say 28-year-old Mason Taylor and 28-year-old Jozlynne Dawson of Willow Wind Place entered the Waterfront Drive HyVee on January 7th and proceeded to check out using the designated self-checkout machines 9 different times. Taylor would allegedly skip-scan items and hand them to Dawson, who bagged them. He would also enter a cheaper produce item than selected so that he could pay less.
Loss prevention said during one of the incidents, Taylor brought about 20 items to the register but only paid for 4 of them. They allege he stole over $440 worth of groceries during the nine visits that day.
The two were charged with 4th degree theft, a serious misdemeanor punishable by a year each in jail if convicted.
Taylor allegedly stole over $1900 in merchandise over 48 separate incidents at the 8th street HyVee in Coralville by placing his hand over the bar code and pretending to scan the items. He reportedly admitted to skip scanning during a phone call with Loss Prevention on January 12th.
Taylor faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the 2nd degree Theft charge.