Man jailed for pricey Target, Walmart thefts

MOSCOW — A 29-year-old western Washington man is in Latah County Jail for allegedly stealing nearly $20,000 worth of merchandise at the Moscow Target and Walmart stores last year.

A Latah County warrant was issued in May 2023 for the arrest of Andrey A. Barbin and he was able to evade police for more than a year, said Latah County Deputy Prosecutor Keith Scholl.

Barbin was eventually arrested in King County, Wash., for suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, Scholl said. He was then extradited back to Idaho.

According to court documents, Barbin is suspected of orchestrating a string of retail thefts in Washington and Idaho along with Daniel Polletta, who was arrested in May in Boise for burglary and other charges.

In April 2023, Barbin and Polletta allegedly stole nearly $18,000 in merchandise from the Moscow Target, and $1,039 in merchandise from the Moscow Walmart.

According to court documents, they allegedly stole five laptops, two Airpod sets, 17 iPads and 12 miscellaneous electronic items from Target. At Walmart, they allegedly stole one desktop computer, two radar detectors, two car cameras and six miscellaneous items.

Court documents say they also allegedly stole items from stores in Richland, Wash.; Lynwood, Wash.; and Coeur d’Alene.

The Moscow Police Department used surveillance footage from the stores to allegedly identify Barbin and Polletta, who had numerous arrests and convictions for larceny and theft in Washington. According to court documents, Barbin’s address was listed in Lynwood.

Barbin is charged with one count of burglary and two counts of grand theft. Scholl said his preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.