CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. (EYT) — A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for a Franklin man who allegedly caught stealing and then attempting to return merchandise for a refund from a local store while high on fentanyl.

Court documents indicate 34-year-old Luke Mitchell Sturdevant is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26, on the following charges:

– Possession of Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
– DUI: Controlled Substance — Schedule 2 or 3 — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– DUI: Controlled Substance — Impaired Ability — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– Retail Theft-Take Merchandise, Misdemeanor 2 (three counts)
– Criminal Solicitation — Retail Theft-Take Merchandise, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
– Criminal Solicitation — Defiant Trespass Actual Communication To, Misdemeanor 3
– Defiant Trespass Actual Communication To, Misdemeanor 3
– Theft By Deception-False Impression, Misdemeanor 3 (three counts)
– Illegal Park Where Official Signs Prohibit, Summary

The charges stem from an incident that occurred in late December 2019 at the Cranberry Walmart store.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, on December 30, Luke Sturdevant entered the Walmart store in Cranberry Township, Venango County, took merchandise from within the store, and attempted to obtain a refund for the items without paying for them. Strudevant also allegedly used another person, an unnamed bystander, to obtain a refund for items that weren’t paid for.

The complaint states that on the following day (December 31), Strudevant injected opiates, namely fentanyl, then drove to Walmart, parked illegally in the fire lane and on the sidewalk, and entered the store again, where he took additional items from the shelves and attempted to obtain a refund for the items. He was then asked to enter the loss prevention office, and it was discovered he was arrested at the Walmart in Butler in 2017 for retail theft and had been told he was not allowed back at a Walmart property again.

Following his arrest, Sturdevant asked if he could move his vehicle, and when asked, agreed to allow Trooper Barnhill of the Franklin-based State Police, to move it for him.

Inside the vehicle, Trooper Barnhill immediately observed a needle in the center console. He then exited the vehicle and conducted an interview with Sturdevant, during which time Sturdevant admitted to having illegal substances in the vehicle and using the needle to inject opiates earlier in the day, according to the complaint.

Sturdevant also agreed to submit to chemical testing, which later found his blood contained fentanyl, the complaint states.

A further search of the vehicle also found a clear baggie with approximately .5 grams of suspected opiates, according to the complaint.

Charges were filed through Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office on January 30.