Waterloo, Oelwein Men Caught Stealing From Retail Store

Two northeast Iowa men face numerous charges for allegedly stealing merchandise from a Wisconsin retail store, and having meth in their possession.

Arrested in connection with the theft spree were David Smith, 45, of Waterloo, and Andrew Nagel, 19, of Oelwein.

Authorities said the incident happened at a Wal-Mart Supercenter near Prairie du Chien, Wis., early in the evening on May 13, 2018. The business reported that there was a theft in progress involving a substantial amount of retail merchandise.

According to a local police report, the stolen merchandise was loaded into a car with Iowa license plates. A short time later, authorities stopped the vehicle going north on U.S. Highway 18.

Police said officers recovered about $1,400 in merchandise from the car. The items included cappuccino, a hat, cologne, tool bags, cordless drills, tool sets, and walkie talkies.

Nagel, a passenger, was arrested on the following charges: retail theft greater than $500, possession of methamphetamine, possession of meth paraphernalia, and intentionally removing the theft detection devices from store merchandise. Police said officers found Nagel with a container of crystal meth, a digital scale, and two straws to inject the drug when they stopped the vehicle.

Smith was identified as the car's driver. He was charged with being party to a crime, receiving stolen property, driving without a license, and having no insurance.

Both men were taken to the Crawford County jail in Wisconsin. The investigation continues.