A North Liberty woman, Abigail Kite, is facing charges after she used a phony UPC code to steal over $1,100 worth of items from Hy-Vee stores in Coralville.
According to the criminal complaint, the 43-year-old stole merchandise during 24 separate trips between October 17, 2024, and December 2, 2024, by scanning the fraudulent UPC code instead of the actual products. The theft occurred at the Hy-Vee stores located on Crosspark Road and 8th Street.
Kite admitted to her actions, stating that she was going through personal struggles at the time. She is charged with third-degree theft.
This wasn’t her first time using such tactics, as she was previously arrested in June 2024 for a similar incident at Walmart.