A state appeals court on Wednesday upheld the theft case against a former Union County Police Department officer convicted of switching price tag barcodes on toy purchases at box stores.

Blake Clay, 39, was released from state prison in February of this year. A Union County jury convicted him in 2019 of two counts of theft and official misconduct, and he was later sentenced to up to three years behind bars.

Clay is an avid toy collector who was convicted after an investigation found 12 instances in 2016 in which he affixed fake barcode tags on action figures at Walmart and Target stores. The tags he used were for far less than the store price, and his purchases led to over $500 in losses for the stores.

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