A Cheswick man with more than a dozen prior convictions for shoplifting faces multiple felony charges after security officers at the Walmart in the Pittsburgh Mills complex told police they tracked a series of thefts to him.
Joseph William Zalin, 43, of the 1200 block of Linden Street was charged with nine felony counts of retail theft along with two counts each of driving without a license and driving with a suspended license.
He was released on a nonmonetary bond and ordered to appear before District Judge David Sosovicka on March 13 for a preliminary hearing.
Police wrote in a criminal complaint charging Zalin that Walmart security officials provided investigators Feb. 10 with written reports along with surveillance video and still photos they said show Zalin stealing merchandise from the store nine times between September and February.
Security officials told police the first theft occurred Sept. 18, followed by two incidents in October, one in December, three in January and two in February, the complaint said.
During each of the theft incidents, Zalin took merchandise valued between $63 and $317, police said.
Store officials said the total value of the items stolen by Zalin is $1,234, investigators said.
Surveillance video from the store’s parking lot shows Zalin driving a vehicle, which resulted in the four traffic citations issued for driving without a license and driving while under suspension, the complaint said.
Court records show that since 1990 Zalin has been convicted 13 times of stealing from stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Washington counties.
