An Augusta woman’s Facebook post about her arrest for shoplifting at the Wrightsboro Road Walmart has gone viral, drawing widespread criticism of the retailer. But records show she left out one detail: a previous shoplifting conviction.
Melinda Rae Dansby, 56, was arrested on May 26 after allegedly failing to scan a $26.31 bag of dog food at self-checkout. In her widely shared post, Dansby said it was an honest mistake and that she had trouble scanning other items before getting assistance from an associate. While the employee helped scan towels, Dansby said she used the handheld scanner to ring up a 40-pack of water and the dog food. She paid $169.21, received her receipt, and walked out.
Outside the store, she was stopped by Walmart security and taken to a back room, where officers reviewed footage and determined the dog food had not been scanned. Dansby said she repeatedly offered to pay for the item, but Walmart opted to press charges.
She was booked into the Richmond County jail and held for 24 hours. Her emotional post described a harrowing experience in a crowded holding cell, which she called “inhumane.”
The post has generated hundreds of shares and comments, with many expressing outrage at Walmart for prosecuting what she called a first-time, accidental oversight. But a joint investigation by The Austin Rhodes Show and The Augusta Press has shown that Dansby didn’t reveal the whole story.
Public records show Dansby pleaded guilty to shoplifting in 2002, in a case involving Dillard’s at Augusta Mall. She received 12 months’ probation, a $250 fine, 40 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay restitution and stay off the premises of Dillard’s and Augusta Mall.
Dansby did not mention that prior conviction in her post.
Reached on Wednesday about the prior arrest when she was in her 30s, Dansby said she had deleted the May 31 post, saying it had drawn too much attention.
“The 2002 incident involved my mother, who just passed on Mother’s Day this year,” she said. “I didn’t realize that was on my record. It is a story, however, it’s private, something I thought was taken care of.”
Her Facebook account of her recent arrest was shared at least 309 times. Dansby said she wants the story left alone.
“If it’s left alone, people will forget about it. Which is what I want,” she said. “I don’t want to speak to anyone about my story. I have been contacted by several local talk shows and reporters, I have no interest in any of it. I have not commented on anything. … The damage to me, my career and family has already been done.”
The current case remains pending in Richmond County. Walmart has not publicly responded to the social media backlash.
