2 men charged with stealing more than $4,000 in groceries from Giant Eagle

Police are looking for two men who have been charged with stealing more than $4,000 in groceries from the Giant Eagle grocery store in Glenshaw, according to police.

Arrest warrants were issued late last week for Sergio Lombardo, 30, of Pittsburgh and Benjamin Coghe, 30, of Pittsburgh, charged with retail theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property in connection with several May incidents at the Giant Eagle on Butler Plank Road.

Shaler police initially responded to a theft report on May 15, talking with the store’s loss prevention associate who said the same Giant Eagle Advantage card was used in additional thefts using the store’s Scan Pay Go system on May 10, 13 and 14, totaling more than $2,700.

Scan Pay Go is an app that lets customers scan bar codes as they shop, paying at a Scan Pay Go or self-checkout station.

After checking nearby intersection cameras and license-plate readers in the area, police determined a white van could be seen during several of the times when thefts occurred. It was registered under the same name as the Giant Eagle Advantage card used in the thefts, according to a criminal complaint.

Security footage from the Giant Eagle shows two men loading reusable bags with merchandise via the Scan Pay Go system before canceling the order. They then leave the store without passing the checkout area, according to court documents.

Police said photos of the man whose name was on the Advantage card and the van registration did not match security footage of either suspect.

On May 20, a Shaler patrol officer saw the white van at a pull-off along Route 8, with three men fishing in the stream nearby.

They were later identified as the man who the van is registered to, Lombardo and Coghe, police said.

The van owner told police he is a jitney driver and would give the other two men occasional rides for $20, including dropping them off at the Giant Eagle five times, according to a criminal complaint.

The van owner, who was not charged, said Lombardo and Coghe told him they’d bought the groceries using food stamps and then offered to sell it to him at a discount. During their interaction with police, police say Coghe was wearing a t-shirt seen in security footage from the Giant Eagle.

Shaler police are seeking information on Lombardo’s and Coghe’s whereabouts.

In early May, Giant Eagle officials announced they would no longer use the Scan Pay Go system at four Pittsburgh-area locations, citing low usage by customers in a statement.

Retailers across the country, however, have pulled back on self-checkout, with many citing frequent shoplifting as an issue. Walmart, Target and Dollar General are among those that have scaled back their self-checkout lanes over the past year, according to The Associated Press.

Giant Eagle recently modified its self-checkout hours at all stores. They are now 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“This shift enables us to make sure dedicated team members are available to assist customers and oversee the self-checkout process during the posted hours of operation,” Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Jablonowski said.

Jablonowski said the company did not provide information on loss from theft.

“But I can say it’s certainly an issue that all retailers face,” she said.

Charley Family Shop’n Save owner Tom Charley, with locations in Greensburg and Murrysville, said his stores haven’t had much trouble with their self-checkout lanes.

“We’re going to continue to evaluate the need for them going forward, as always,” Charley said. “I don’t think you’ll see a major change in our strategy with them.”