DES MOINES – A Waterloo city council member cops say admitted she tried to steal quite a load of goods from a low-end Des Moines Walmart claims she is innocent, refuses to resign, and referred all queries to her high-powered attorney.
NIT previously reported that 31-year-old Nia Nikole Wilder of Waterloo was nabbed by Walmart and arrested by Des Moines police back on Friday November 29, 2024. Allegedly, Wilder was fiddling with her Walmart Plus ap in the store and tried to leave with over $400 worth of merchandise that wasn’t properly paid for. She was stopped and after Des Moines police arrived and investigated, was arrested on a charge of fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor.
Wilder is a Waterloo city councilor and began serving in 2022. After she was jailed in the incident, she posted a surety bond from Lederman Bonds and was released. Days later, her new attorney, the famed Alfredo Parrish of Des Moines, appeared in court for her, and entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf. Historians will recollect that Parrish has represented defendants in high-profile cases, such as when an Iowa basketball player, Pierre Pierce, was accused of sexual assault, and a Hawkeye wide receiver, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, was accused of drug crimes.
At a recent city council meeting in Waterloo, Wilder reportedly deferred all questions about the alleged crime to Parrish. She reportedly said at the meeting, “I know there are a lot of individuals that have questions about what happened and what took place over this weekend. But if you do have questions I urge you to direct them towards my attorney’s office. I know there has been questions on if I am resigning my seat and I don’t plan on doing that… Or just give me a call, thank you.”
Reportedly, and there may be body police camera video evidence to support or deny this, Wilder admitted to police that she committed the crime.
Wilder (pictured at top) is due back in court on December 27, 2024, at 8 AM, for a preliminary hearing.