http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080610_tj_walmartforgery.1d77d917.html TSU student jailed on bogus Wal-Mart forgery charge 12:59 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 By Jeremy Desel / 11 News Video: Jeremy Desel's 11 News report View larger player More Video HOUSTON -- A college student’s trip to Wal-Mart last month ended with her in handcuffs and a two-day stay in the Harris County jail. Nitra Gipson was charged with felony forgery charges after the Meyer Park Wal-Mart manager accused her of passing bogus money orders. Thing is, the money orders were legit and had been purchased at Wal-Mart to begin with. The cash-strapped college student had just sold her car to pay for her last two semesters at Texas Southern University, where she is studying criminal justice. She was paid with Wal-Mart money orders, which the giant retailer advertises as “good as cash.” In Gipson’s case, they were as good as time behind bars. “Humiliating is not the word for it,” said Gipson. “I was horrified. I think they singled me out because of the amount of money that it was and (thought) I was trying to get over on them.” No manner of effort by Gipson to show that the money orders were legit worked. The store manager insisted she be charged. The district attorney’s office saw it differently. Charges were dropped after the money orders were verified when Gipson provided the purchase receipts. But after spending 48 hours behind bars, the damage had already beeen done. “Wal-Mart should be held responsible and accountable for letting this child go to jail for two days. All because she was doing what any customer of Wal-Mart should do,” said community activist Quannel X. Gipson said Wal-Mart then added insult to injury when she got a letter in the mail. “I started to read it and thought, ‘Oh my God.’ They are asking me to pay them when it was clearly their mistake,” said Gipson. The letter demanded Gipson pay Wal-Mart $200 to settle a shoplifting charge. It is a charge that never existed. When 11 News contacted Wal-Mart officials, they said they were looking into the case and would provide no further details. The spokesperson did claim that the decision to pursue charges was up to the law enforcement officials on the scene. But the copy of the criminal complaint obtained by 11 News, shows that the store manager is who pressed charges.
That story is just plain perfect: Wal-Mart money orders called fake at Wal-Mart and a Criminal Justice major going to jail. They even threw in a cameo by Quannel X at the exact moment I started to get bored!
On one hand, everyone likes to make fun of walmart for having low standard in hiring and therefore bad employees On the other hand, everyone acts shocked and horrified when those employees make mistakes.........
A lil off topic, but my ex gf worked at Walmart for the longest time, I dunno if she still does. However she worked there cus pretty much Walmart was the only place to go for a job cus she lived in a small town and I think Walmart killed most of the mom n pop businesses. Anyways, I always shop at Walmart and I rather like shopping there for the low prices. Too bad nothing like this ever happens to me in Walmart so I can sue them and get rich.
I agree with everyone above. Capitalism is evil and the only way that we should survive is through a socialist system. Large corporations should be required to give their goods away for free and pay their employees more than smaller companies.
I'm shocked that anyone at the customer service desk actually gave a damn enough to call the cops about this.
I'm not a Wal Mart defender. They have some awful business practices. But let's be clear here: This whole incident centers on an incredibly stupid store manager. As a company, Wal Mart should not be dragged through the mud for this. There are plenty of other reasons to blast Wal Mart. Every big company has moronic employees, even in management, that sometimes do really dumb things that offend people. At the same time, because the manager was acting in behalf of Wal Mart, I guess they could be a target for a lawsuit.
The district manager needs to go ahead and get a replacement for that store manager. That is inexcusable. Wal-Mart and the manager are both subject to a lawsuit that would easily be won, although Wal-Mart would settle before it went to court.
The corporation is responsible for the actions that its employees take in its name (the manager was acting in his capacity as store manager when he pressed charges on behalf of the company). So while it's not the company's fault, per se (I doubt the company has a policy to deny its own money orders) and it's likely the company doesn't agree with the actions taken by the store manager, the company is still ultimately responsible for what its employee did. You know, other stores, companies and organizations have higher hiring standards and still end having employees who make mistakes like this. What's really surprising is that, given the size of Wal-Mart, these sorts of things don't happen more often just based on the law of averages.
Michael Strahan needs to step up to the challenge... and speak out for his TSU peeps... I love Quanell X... especially how he states unnecessary stuff... about stuff we already know...
Yea, i wonder if Quanell X and Al Sharpton know how much comedy they create for the non-black community and shame they create for the black community. Leaches...
