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(WHAS11) - Police are still tallying up the damage caused by a shoplifter and his associates who they say stole tens-of-thousands of dollars in merchandise.

The business believed to have been hit the hardest was the Westport Road Wal-mart store.

The scheme investigators uncovered is a simple one, but it ended up fooling employees at this and other stores.

Police say the suspect took more than $17,000 dollars in goods from one Wal-mart store alone in just three days.

And they expect the total losses to be much more once all of the thefts are calculated.

When you enter a Wal-mart, you are covered by more cameras than in just about any store in America.

Joseph Coleman apparently knew that when he walked into the Westport Road Wal-mart during the pre-dawn hours this week.  He pulls his hat over his face.

But cameras ended up catching him in the act of stealing computers and digital cameras even if nobody in the store noticed at the time.

On the surveillance video Coleman is seen laying laptop computers on a shelf outside the secured electronics department.

One by one, they ended up in his shopping cart. Then he would find an empty box, usually a car seat box and conceal the merchandise inside the box, tape up the box and then take it to the check out counter.

Police say after he bought the car seat, he would simply take it to his car. Officers say he did this 3 times. The first time, he took a personal computer, the second time, he had laptops, the third time, and he got away with digital cameras.

20 digital cameras and 17 computers were loaded up and hauled off in three trips.

Police think Coleman hit half-a-dozen more times at other stores.

Estimated losses are expected to be in the upper 20 thousands.

Coleman has a seven page rap sheet that began in 1986 and he’s been convicted twice of stealing from Wal-mart stores.

Police believe Coleman had help, but don’t know who, since he’s refused to talk.

Officers are also concerned he’ll be out and at it again soon.

Since shoplifting even large amounts is only considered a minor felony, his bond has been set at only $5,000 dollars.