Third time charm for accused shoplifter

A Carson City man, suspected of trying to defraud three stores and a cab driver in the span of a half-hour, is in jail on two felony charges.

Jeffrey Royal Dean, 38, was charged with felony burglary by shoplifting and attempted grand larceny and held in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Reports indicate he was first noticed attempting to "return" items taken off the shelves at 3 a.m. Friday at Kmart. When store employees asked him to leave, he reportedly asked them to call a cab to take him to Wal-Mart.

The cab driver says that he picked up Dean and brought him to Wal-Mart. Dean then took off without paying an $8 fare, went inside the store, attempted the same scam he tried at Kmart and was again told to leave when caught, reports state.

A deputy reportedly witnessed the scam and watched Dean go across the street to Albertson's grocery store where he walked out with a newspaper, a cup of coffee and a pack of cigarettes.

When confronted Dean stated that he had paid for the cigarettes with money he found outside the store.