An assistant principal at a Cherokee County elementary school has been arrested and charged with felony shoplifting after authorities accused her of stealing nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise from Walmart using a self-checkout trick known as the stacking method. Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, was taken into custody on Monday, January 19, and placed on administrative leave from her position at Free Home Elementary School. According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Shaw allegedly stole 98 items valued at $943.97 from a Walmart location on Bells Ferry Road in Woodstock between November 2 and December 31, 2025. Investigators claim she used a technique where multiple items are placed on top of one another at self-checkout kiosks, with only one item scanned before both are bagged and removed from the store. The case began when a Walmart employee provided surveillance footage to authorities on January 12, showing a woman identified as Shaw allegedly stealing merchandise during multiple visits to the store. Using investigative tools including a driver’s license database, deputies matched Shaw to the incidents two days later. Surveillance cameras captured two vehicles leavin
