Flint, MI – A 24-year-old Flint man will spend nearly three years in federal prison after admitting he played a central role in a nationwide scheme that targeted more than 100 Walmart stores across the country.
Dondrell Lawayne Smith, 24, of Flint, Michigan, was sentenced Thursday, February 19, 2026 in federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after pleading guilty in November to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson imposed a 35-month prison sentence and ordered Smith to pay approximately $167,803 in restitution to the stores he defrauded.
Once released from prison, Smith will serve three years of supervised release under federal court supervision.
Nationwide Scheme Spanned Nearly Two Years
Federal prosecutors said the operation ran from September 2021 through August 2023 and netted the group more than $340,000 in stolen merchandise.
According to court documents, Smith and his co-conspirators traveled to Walmart locations in Louisiana and at least 14 other states. Vehicles were reportedly rented in the Flint area before the group drove across state lines to carry out the fraud.
The scheme centered around fraudulent “cash cards” that appeared to function like legitimate debit or credit cards but contained no actual funds.
When the cards were inevitably declined at checkout, Smith and others allegedly told cashiers they were former Walmart employees and instructed them to manually enter specific register codes. Those codes caused the transactions to process as if cash had been tendered, generating receipts that falsely reflected full payment.
With receipts in hand, the group would then take the high-ticket merchandise, often electronics, to different Walmart locations and request cash refunds. The refunds frequently included the full purchase price, taxes and warranty add-ons.
Gonzales and Broussard Transactions
Court records show Smith and his alleged co-conspirator targeted the Walmart in Gonzales, Louisiana, in August 2023.
Prosecutors said the pair completed seven fraudulent transactions totaling approximately $6,500. The following day, they allegedly drove to a Walmart in Broussard and returned the stolen items for cash refunds.
That incident became part of the broader federal case that ultimately led to Smith’s guilty plea.
Co-Defendant Still Fighting Charges
Smith was indicted alongside Malikk Ziare Strodder, 24, who faces the same conspiracy charge along with seven counts of wire fraud.
Court records show Strodder has pleaded not guilty. His case remains active and continues to move through federal court.
Prior Michigan Retail Fraud Case
Separate Michigan court records indicate Smith previously pleaded guilty in 2022 to first-degree retail fraud in an unrelated case. He was sentenced to probation in that matter, which was discharged in 2023.
Details about where in Michigan that prior case originated were not immediately available.
Discuss this on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1WpU44ixyE/