Florida man accused of taco seasoning ploy to steal $40K in Target cards
A Florida man has been arrested after authorities say he orchestrated a months‑long retail theft operation that relied on 99‑cent taco seasoning packets to disguise the theft of high‑value trading cards worth $40,000 from Target stores across multiple counties.
Keith Wallis, 39, of Palm Beach, now faces felony charges including organized retail theft, dealing in stolen property, and money laundering.
Prosecutors say that the alleged scheme stretched from July 2025 through February 2026, during which Wallis is accused of committing 75 thefts at Target locations spanning from Orlando to Miami.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasized that Florida’s strong economy depends on robust enforcement of retail‑crime laws.
“Florida has the number one economy in the nation because of our commitment to law and order,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier.
“Organized retail theft drives up prices for consumers, and that is not a result we are going to tolerate. These schemes will be met with the maximum punishment allowed under the law.”
In each incident, investigators say Wallis selected large boxes of trading cards along with an identical number of inexpensive taco seasoning packets.
At self‑checkout, he allegedly scanned and paid only for the seasoning, leaving the store with the far more valuable merchandise.
Authorities say Wallis then sold the stolen trading cards on eBay, ultimately generating almost $40,000 in revenue, while Target absorbed more than $10,000 in losses tied to the thefts.
The investigation was led by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, with assistance from the Martin and Broward County sheriff’s offices.
“This arrest send a clear message that organized retail theft, no matter how coordinated or far-reaching, will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. “Those who profit from stealing in our communities will be held accountable.”
Investigators say Wallis is also suspected of similar thefts at Walmart and Publix locations, suggesting a broader pattern of exploiting self‑checkout systems to obtain expensive merchandise at minimal cost.
If convicted on all charges, Wallis faces up to 90 years in the Florida Department of Corrections—a reflection of the multiple stacked felonies associated with organized retail crime. Prosecutors Chris Olowin and Monique Wilson are set to handle the case in the state’s Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.
A Capital One shopping report found that retailers in Florida lost $5.421 billion in revenue to theft in 2022.
