She wasn’t after steaks for dinner. Deputies say the latest shoplifting arrest shines a light on how the region’s drug crisis drives even the most bizarre crimes.
According to sheriff’s reports, store security stopped a woman after she tried to walk out with over $260 worth of packaged meat stuffed in her purse. When deputies questioned her, she didn’t bother with excuses. She told them straight out: she planned to sell the meat to get money for drugs.
The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Brenda Manns of Huntington, West Virginia, admitted to using fentanyl. During a search of her bag, deputies reported finding multiple snort straws and other drug paraphernalia.
Investigators also learned this wasn’t her first run-in with the retail giant. Records show Manns had already been banned from Walmart following a 2024 incident in West Virginia. That didn’t stop her from trying again.
After her arrest, deputies transported her to the Lawrence County Jail on charges of theft and criminal trespassing. She has since appeared in municipal court for arraignment.
Cases like this are far from isolated. Across the Tri-State, law enforcement continues to see theft directly linked to addiction. Everyday items — from meat and laundry detergent to electronics and tools — often end up being traded or sold on the street for drug money.
While the charges against Manns will play out in court, deputies say the case underscores a bigger problem: the cycle of theft, arrest, and release tied to the region’s ongoing fentanyl epidemic.
