Cops: Boca Raton Man Ran ‘Skip-Scanning’ Theft At Target Stores 15 Times

Porter D. Konold (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A Boca Raton man was arrested last week and accused of using a self-checkout method known as “skip-scanning” in a staggering 15 separate thefts from Target stores across Palm Beach County, according to a Delray Beach police arrest report.

Porter D. Konold, 21, of Boca Raton, was taken into custody the night of Sept. 3 at the Target store on W. Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach. A store loss prevention officer recognized him as a frequent theft suspect, watched him place unpaid items in a bag at self-checkout and then stop him as he headed for the exit, a probable cause affidavit filed in court last week said.

As part of the alleged scam, Konold paid for some merchandise with Apple Pay on his phone while skipping other items, police said. After being read his Miranda rights, he acknowledged paying for some items and not others and later said it was not the first time he had taken merchandise from Target without paying, according to the report.

Target loss prevention staff used a case-management program to review purchases tied to the same Apple Pay account and identified 15 prior alleged skip-scanning incidents at the Delray Beach store and a Target in Palm Beach Gardens dating to April. Combined losses from the documented cases totaled $685.51, police said. Video from each incident showed the same person, the affidavit stated.

Konold was charged with a felony count of retail theft involving multiple thefts within a time period under Florida law. Delray Beach police handled the arrest. He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail after posting a $10,000 bond.