TikTok prankster Charles Smith is facing charges including introducing poison, criminal damage and endangerment after filming himself spraying pesticide on fresh produce at an Arizona Walmart store.
According to a press release from the Mesa Police Department, 27-year-old Smith, known on TikTok as Wolfie Kahletti, was arrested and charged on Saturday, Dec. 21, for allegedly spraying deadly chemicals across several food items earlier this week.
Police said that at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 19, Smith went into the Walmart, located on South Stapley Drive, with the intention of filming a prank video for his TikTok account. They allege that Smith picked up a can of Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug & Flea Killer and did not pay for it. He then allegedly sprayed it across fresh produce and other food, including vegetables, fruit and rotisserie chickens that were available for purchase.
In a now-deleted TikTok video, Smith filmed himself picking up the pesticide can and spraying it across the food, police added. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE state that Smith then left the store and posted the video.
“Once he left, he began to see comments online saying how horrible the act was, and he decided to return and collect the items,” the documents state.
A still from Charles’ Smith’s now-deleted TikTok video.
Mesa Police Department
“Through investigative means, and with assistance from the Tempe Police Department, detectives were able to identify Smith as the suspect,” the Mesa Police Department’s press release states. “Mesa Police contacted Smith and he turned himself in voluntarily.”
Investigators added that during an interview with police, Smith “admitted to the theft and spraying of the pesticide.”
Smith now faces charges of criminal damage, endangerment and theft, all misdemeanors, as well as introducing poison, a class 6 felony (the least severe of felony charges in Arizona).
Court records from the case state that Smith called himself a “troll,” and he often posts provocative pranks that are meant to cause controversy or uproar.
In his TikTok bio, Smith calls himself a “tycoon creator” and “supreme villain.” His videos regularly garner more than one million views, with some clocking as many as 12 million views.
Charles Smith’s mugshot.
Mesa Police Department
Recent videos on Smith’s page include pranks in which he uses a bike lock or bungee cord to lock customers inside open businesses while he stands outside the doors, as well as places raw bacon inside a laundromat washing machine being used by a stranger.
The court records state that Smith makes anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 per month from TikTok.
Walmart told us in a statement that all of the products involved in the incident were removed from the store and the area has been thoroughly cleaned.
“The health and safety of our customers and associates is always a top priority,” Walmart’s statement reads. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers as we work to resolve this issue. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement during their investigation.”
The Mesa Police Department said that this case is an example of what can happen when social media goes too far.
“This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks,” the department added.
According to The Republic, Smith later uploaded two videos that showed removing produce from the shelves and relocating them within the Walmart store.
The TikToker told the outlet that all of the produce was “thrown away right after.” He added that “no one was poisoned.”
