NJ cop who ripped off Walmart, Target to spend 2 years in prison

A Union County police officer will serve two years in prison before he is eligible for parole after being convicted of scamming Walmart, Target and other stores.

A Union County jury in September found the 36-year-old Rahway man guilty of using fake barcodes to get deep discounts at big-box stores.

A Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced Blake Clay to three years in prison. Because he was convicted on an official misconduct charge, he will be required to serve at least two years behind bars.

Clay also was ordered to forfeit future public employment in the state.

Clay was arrested in 2016 after at least one store had already caught him in the act. In some cases, he committed the thefts while in uniform, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Clay would affix a fake barcode to the items before checking them out, allowing him to pay $1.50 to $4.50 for goods that were priced from $15.99 to $39.99. The thefts were estimated at $600.

When Walmart caught onto him, Clay signed an agreement to never visit another Walmart store, officials said.

Clay was earning a base salary of $83,300 before overtime.