Tesla Renter Caught in $1.2K Walmart Vacuum Scam — What a Mess!

Two months after allegedly defrauding a business in Maricopa, David Hodge, 34, is facing multiple charges.

The Maricopa Police Department announced on Thursday that they have linked Hodge to a fraudulent vacuum purchase. The incident occurred on January 16 when he reportedly bought a vacuum sealer and bags worth $489.27 using counterfeit money.

Witnesses at Walmart noted that Hodge left the store in a white Tesla bearing Nevada license plates before police arrived. Security footage showed that he, along with a female accomplice, had stolen $700 worth of similar items from a Walmart in Chandler just two days earlier.

Authorities later identified the rented Tesla as being linked to Sydney Johnson, the same female accomplice in the Chandler theft.

Charges against Hodge include burglary, possession of burglary tools, forgery, and fraud, which could lead to over 20 years in prison if convicted.