TikTok prankster jailed for spraying groceries with pesticides for clicks

Charles Smith walked into a Walmart, picked up a can of bug spray, and sprayed produce and other food items, according to police in Mesa, Arizona – all in the name of going viral on social media.

The 27-year-old, known online as Wolfie Kahletti and Wolfie Party, faces a felony count for “introducing poison,” along with three misdemeanor charges for criminal damage, endangerment and theft after the Dec. 19 incident at the store.

According to a police report obtained by the Washington Post, Smith entered the store, took a can of bug spray from a shelf, and sprayed it on vegetables, fruit and rotisserie chickens.

He later posted video of the episode on his TikTok page and Instagram stories. In the now-deleted videos, Smith is seen wearing a black hoodie and pink bandanna as he records the entire incident.

Smith returned to the store about 10 minutes later and recorded himself attempting to gather the contaminated items and wheeling them away in a cart to the rear of the store. It’s unclear whether he managed to retrieve everything. Authorities reported that Walmart had to remove products worth $931 from the shelves.

“It should be noted that the time between when the defendant sprayed the items to when he placed them into the cart, left plenty of time for customers to take the contaminated items and purchase them,” the police report states.

Mesa Police said Smith was identified through prior police contacts and has an open case with the Tempe Police, along with an active warrant for failure to appear. He turned himself in to Mesa Police and was arrested Dec. 21.

Smith did not respond to a request for comment.

“We’re disgusted by what happened at our Mesa store, and social media pranks like this cannot be tolerated,” Kelsey Bohl, director of media relations for Walmart, told the Post in a statement. “The health and safety of our customers and associates is always a top priority. We removed all directly impacted product and cleaned and sanitized the affected area of the store. We are grateful for the swift action of law enforcement, and we’ll continue to work closely with them throughout their investigation.”

Smith admitted to police to stealing the bug spray and using it on produce before leaving the Walmart, the police report says. He said that online backlash prompted him to return to the store to collect the contaminated items.

“This incident underscores the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks,” Detective Brandi Myers, a public information officer with the Mesa Police Department, told the Post on Friday.

During his interview with police, Smith said he performs these pranks as a “troll for social media” and earns between $6,000 and $10,000 a month from posting these kinds of videos.

He has garnered widespread criticism for his controversial prank videos, which include drawing obscenities on counters, spraying unsuspecting people with fire extinguishers and throwing food in public spaces. A Reddit thread discussing Smith’s antics surfaced before his latest arrest, warning people in the Tempe, Arizona, area about his history of disruptive stunts. People wrote about him throwing food off balconies and sneaking into fast food restaurants.

Smith’s TikTok account is disabled. Newsweek reported earlier this week he had 345,000 followers and his bio read: “tycoon creator,” and “supreme villain.” His Instagram account is still active with more than 370,000 followers.

During a court appearance Monday, Smith asked the judge whether he could leave jail to feed his dog, according to Fox10 Phoenix. The request was denied.

The judge also barred him from using social media if he posts bail.

Smith’s next court appearance is Monday.