John Wesley Loniak, 54, of Harrison, has been arrested for theft at a Walmart store in Batesville, Arkansas, despite a nationwide ban from the retail chain. Loniak was taken into custody on July 30 in Platte County, Missouri, and extradited to Independence County on August 12 to face felony charges.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Batesville Police Department, store surveillance footage showed Loniak collecting multiple calculators and placing them into a microwave box. He returned to the store the following day and purchased the microwave containing the hidden merchandise. He then exited through the automotive section with items valued at over $2,900.
Walmart’s Asset Protection team reported that Loniak signed a nationwide trespass notice in 2021, prohibiting him from entering any Walmart store in the United States. He is also considered a suspect in several other similar incidents involving Walmart locations across the country.
As a result of the Batesville case, Loniak is charged with felony commercial burglary and theft of property. His bond has been set at $25,000.
Loniak has a criminal record that includes four prior felony arrests in Arkansas since 1997 across Boone, Benton, and Greene counties, involving charges such as commercial burglary, theft by receiving, and domestic battery.
