Casper Man Faces 20 Years in Prison for Chronic Shoplifting

A Casper man is being held in jail on a $10,000 cash only bond on two shoplifting charges.

In July last year, Wyoming lawmakers decided that after four strikes, a petty-theft charge is upgraded to a felony.

For first time offenders, theft is only punishable by up to six months in jail. James Earl Severson, however, is looking at a possible 20 years behind bars and up to a $20,000 fine.

He's currently facing a number of other charges including domestic battery and property destruction, possession of a controlled substance, driving with a cancelled license, and four counts of criminal trespass after being caught on camera at Walmart—a store that he's already been banned from for life since 2020.

Severson's criminal history is extensive with several prior theft charges.

The most recent shoplifting charge came after Severson was accused of stealing from the CY Ave Hardware on Dec. 16.

Severson was allegedly spotted entering the store and stashed plumbing items in his pockets. With a pair of pliers from the store, he allegedly cut a metal tag on a $240 wrench before walking off with it only to find another security tag. The affadavit says he then put it down in a different aisle and continued stuffing other plumbing merchandise in his pockets including a steel file, valves, adapters and unions totaling $102.70 before walking out without paying.

Officers located Severson on Dec. 20, three days after his second alleged shoplifting incident in which he is accused of stealing a $182 airsoft gun from Rocky Mountain District Sports.

Severson waived his preliminary hearing, meaning he will next appear in Natrona County District Court for an arraignment to make a plea.