BURLINGTON — More than $5,000 in stolen merchandise from area Walmart stores was recovered last week at a local motel; six people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Paul D. Butler, 42, of 3670 State Route 93, Ironton has been charged with theft; Jacob D. Holschuh, and Heidi R.Holschuh, 39, both of 70 Private Drive 302, South Point, were each charged with receiving stolen property; Travis Boggess, 26, also of 70 Private Drive 302, South Point, was charged with theft; Melinda G. Sims, 35, of 1E Grapevine Court, Huntington, W.Va., was charged with receiving stolen property and possession of drugs; and Roger Meadows 34, 2826 Staunton St., New Boston, was charged with receiving stolen property.

All were taken to the Lawrence County jail except for Meadows, who was already in jail after an earlier domestic violence incident.

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Boyd Blake said in his Feb. 14 report he was advised by Walmart security that two men had allegedly attempted to steal two laptop computers from the Burlington store but left without the merchandise when loss prevention associates followed them outside the store. The two suspects were seen on security camera.

While Blake was talking to the Nicole Reed, a loss prevention associate, he was advised one of the men who allegedly tried to steal one of the laptops had returned to the store and reportedly trying to obtain a refund for a coffee maker.

“To our surprise the male subject was Paul Butler who was in the store earlier trying to steal the computer. Paul was trying to return a coffee maker that was stolen merchandise,” Blake said in his report.

Blake said Butler and Melinda Sims, who was with him, were both detained. Blake said when he interviewed them, they began implicating others in alleged thefts.

“They both stated that they received the coffee pot from Roger Meadows. They stated that they stay at the Country Hearth Hotel in room 219.

“They stated that Roger stays in room 328 and has a lot of stolen items inside of his room that belongs to Walmart. They stated that Roger was now in jail because he shot his gun in his room a couple days ago while arguing with his girlfriend Heidi Holschuh,” Blake said in his report.

“I asked Paul about the computers from this (Feb. 14) morning and he stated that he drove Travis Boggess who also stays at the hotel in room 215 to the methadone clinic. Travis told him (Butler) that he needed some money to pay his rent so they went into Walmart to try and steal the computers but as they got by the exit doors they knew they were caught so the left.”

A search of three motel rooms allegedly used by the suspects turned up numerous items that were reportedly stolen.

Sims was also charged with drug possession after corrections officers at the jail allegedly discovered a bottle of oxycodone stuffed inside a private area of her body when she was being processed as an inmate.