W.Va. police say Lowe's clerk thought way to man's heart was through discounted merchandise

Associated Press

Last update: November 12, 2009 - 7:19 PM

NITRO, W.Va. - A former home improvement store clerk in West Virginia has been charged with discounting $20,000 worth of merchandise to win a man's heart. Nitro police arrested 20-year-old Katie Lynn Smith Thursday on a fraudulent schemes charge. She had worked at Lowe's.

A criminal complaint in county court says a security video shows Smith selling the man a pressure washer worth several hundred dollars for $3.66. That's the price of an 80-pound bag of concrete.

The complaint says Smith admitted incorrectly ringing up nearly $20,000 worth of merchandise in four months for "a male she desired as a boyfriend."

Smith's phone number isn't listed and police spokesman Ray Blake says she doesn't have an attorney yet.

Police couldn't say whether the scheme helped her romantic prospects.

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