A couple's plan to steal and resell items from Walmart goes terribly wrong

| by Travis Uresk | May 4^th, 2026 |

Vernal, Utah (5/1/26)—Asset Protection Personnel at Walmart made contact with a male, identified as 37-year-old Blaine Harrison Duggins, pushing a cart with various items.

Blaine was also seen with a woman later identified as 31-year-old Isabel Jean Cothrun. Efforts to locate Isabel were initially unsuccessful. Blaine stated that Isabel is his girlfriend.

Officers with the Vernal City Police Department arrived on scene and spoke with Blaine. He initially stated he had purchased the items, but later admitted the items in the cart had been stolen. He also admitted to stealing additional items from his vehicle. Blaine escorted officers to his vehicle, where he identified the additional items. Those items were subsequently collected and returned to the business.

While police were interviewing Blaine, he admitted he had previously been convicted of a felony for purchasing an E-bike that he knew was stolen. Officer White conducted a records check and found a felony conviction from 3/4/2024 in another state.

Police were provided with a receipt for the stolen items, and the value of the stolen property was approximately $700.

Blaine admitted that he and his girlfriend, Isabel, had planned to go to the store to commit the thefts and resell the items to make money.

Officers were later notified that someone was seen removing items from the aforementioned vehicle, and responded to the scene where they made contact with Isabel. Officer White confronted Isabel about the thefts, and she admitted her involvement.

Isabel identified several other stolen items that had since been transferred to another vehicle. Those items were returned to the store. Police later received a breakdown of those items and learned that the additional items totaled approximately $161.73, bringing the total value of the stolen items to approximately $861.69.

Isabel admitted that she and Blaine went to Walmart with the intention of stealing the items.

Blaine was taken into custody, but before taking him to jail, Officer White asked him if he had anything on him that the officer should be aware of and that could not be brought into a jail facility.

The officer informed Blaine that if he had any of those items on his person and brought them to the jail, it would be an enhanced charge. Blaine stated that he did not possess any such items. He was then taken to the Uintah County Jail.

While at the Jail facility, Correctional Deputies conducted a search of Blaine's person. During that search, a small plastic bag containing a crystalline substance was found in the front-right coin pocket of his pants. They asked Blaine about the baggie and the substance, but he denied knowledge of what the substance was.

The baggie was taken to the Vernal City Police Department, where a presumptive test of the substance was conducted. The results of that test indicated a positive result for methamphetamine.

Officer White located a previous conviction for possession of Schedule I/II controlled substances, which had taken place on 11/06/2023.

Blaine Duggins was booked into the Uintah County Jail on the following offenses:

Retail Theft for having knowingly taken possession of, concealed, carried away, or transferred merchandise displayed, held, stored, or offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment with the intention of retaining the merchandise, or depriving the merchant permanently of the possession, use or benefit of such merchandise without paying the retail value of the merchandise pursuant to U.C.A. 76-6-602(2)+(3BIV); a Third Degree Felony due to the value of the merchandise and the previous felony theft conviction.

Possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in a correctional facility for having knowingly and intentionally possessed a controlled substance in a correctional facility pursuant to U.C.A. 58-37-8(2)(E); a Third Degree Felony.

Prohibited substance in a correctional or mental health facility, for, without the permission of the authority operating the correctional facility, knowingly transporting a prohibited substance to or within a correctional facility, or failing to declare or knowingly possessing a prohibited substance at a correctional facility pursuant to U.C.A. 76-8-311.8; a Third Degree Felony.

Possession of drug paraphernalia for having possessed drug paraphernalia to store, contain, a controlled substance pursuant to U.C.A. 58-37a-5; a Class B Misdemeanor.

Criminal Conspiracy (Retail Theft) for having intended that conduct that constitutes a crime be performed, agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of the conduct, and any one of them commits an overt act in pursuance of that conspiracy pursuant to U.C.A. 76-4-201; a Class A Misdemeanor (pursuant to U.C.A. 76-4-202(4).

Isabel Cothrun was taken into custody and transported to the Uintah County Jail, where she was booked on the following charges:

Retail Theft for having knowingly taken possession of, concealed, carried away, or transferred merchandise displayed, held, stored, or offered for sale in a retail mercantile establishment with the intention of retaining the merchandise, or depriving the merchant permanently of the possession, use, or benefit of such merchandise without paying the retail value of the merchandise pursuant to U.C.A. 76-6-602; a Class A Misdemeanor

Criminal Conspiracy (Retail Theft) for having intended that conduct that constitutes a crime be performed, agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of the conduct, and any one of them commits an overt act in pursuance of that conspiracy pursuant to U.C.A. 76-4-201; a Class B Misdemeanor (pursuant to U.C.A. 76-4-202(5).