PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A man who is believed to have swindled Walmart out of nearly $100,000 in short-change scams at stores up and down the east coast is in custody, after police say he allegedly tried to pull the same scam in Pikeville.

A short-change scam involves a customer engaging a clerk in a series of quick transactions in order to confuse them and get back more money than they are owed. That’s what police say Constantin Lacatus, 43, of Maspeth, N.Y., was doing at Pikeville Walmart, in an attempt to get 25-hundred dollars placed on his card.

When police spoke to him, he said he was simply trying to pay some bills with a money order. However, Walmart security said he used a different name when trying to get the money order, and Walmart had records of him using other names at other stores.

In all, Walmart alleges Lacatus has gotten away with more than $95,000 from 61 stores in the eastern United States.

He was arrested on charges of identity theft and attempted theft by deception.