|
|
|
Brains behind $30 million counterfeit card scheme based in N.J. pleads guilty
The mastermind behind a $30 million scheme that offered criminals one-stop
shopping for their counterfeiting needs pleaded guilty today to fraud charges.
Sean Roberson, 39, admitted during an appearance in U.S. District Court that he
personally made $1.7 million running the Hudson County-based website
fakeplastic.net. The site was regularly accessed by criminals looking to buy
counterfeit credit and debit cards as well as holographs used to make fake
driver's licenses, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said. The FBI, which led the
probe, has estimated the losses from counterfeit payment cards bought off
fakeplastic.net at $30 million. (Source
nj.com)
 15
arrested as part of organized cargo theft ring in El Paso - Recovers $1M in flat
screen TVs Fifteen people, including two alleged Barrio Azteca
members, were arrested Thursday as a result of a cargo theft ring investigation
by multiple law enforcement agencies. The arrests were made in various locations
around El Paso, including a warehouse near the airport in the 20 block of Spur
Drive. A tractor-trailer full of stolen flat screen TV's was seized at that
location, said police spokesman Sgt. Chris Mears. The people arrested were
allegedly involved in a ring that would steal large cargo pellets from various
delivery trucks on both sides of the border and sell the merchandise. The stolen
goods included flat screen TVs, blue jeans, refrigerators, washers and other
electronics, said Carrey Matthew, DPS Regional Commander. "Additional charges
and arrests are expected," Matthews said. (Source
elpasotimes.com)
Two former Wal-Mart employees face 99 charges in $17,000 thefts in Fort Wayne,
IN Nearly 100 thefts netting about $17,000 in merchandise resulted in
felony charges Thursday against two former Wal-Mart employees. But investigators
say more employees than just 40-year-old David J. Menefee and 18-year-old David
A. McFarland were involved in the three-month string of thefts. Menefee is
accused of being the leader of group, and police said in probable cause
affidavits that he alone was responsible for 92 thefts of items with a total
value of $15,289 from January to April. Investigators said they believe four
other employees stole an additional $6,112 in merchandise in five other thefts.
The store manager told police that the video showed Menefee take several
electronic items out the rear door of the store and not pay for them. In his
role as assistant night manager, Menefee had access to security rooms, showcases
and locked exit doors, all of which aided in the thefts, the affidavit said.
Video showed McFarland picking up merchandise after employees put it outside the
store, according to the report. (Source
journalgazette.net)
 Repeat
female offender makes Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers 10 Most Wanted Fugitives
She's been jailed more than a dozen times and been convicted of thefts in
multiple counties. Now Varaka Stewart is one of Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers
10 Most Wanted fugitives. Stewart, 29, is a repeat offender in Lee, Collier and
Manatee Counties, charged with a long list of thefts, robbery, battery,
burglary, trespassing, and giving false information to law enforcement officers,
among other crimes. In addition to Stewart's current warrant for grand theft and
trespassing, at least two additional warrants for similar charges, will be
forthcoming. Most recently she hit a Guess store at Miromar Outlets in Estero
and the North Fort Myers Walmart store. (Source
news-press.com)
2 male re-peat offenders stole Wal-Mart filing cabinet filled with $3K worth of
over-the-counter medications Martin Washington, 38, and Jamel Wilson,
36, both of New York City, allegedly took a filing cabinet out of its box and
filled it with nonprescription pharmaceuticals, according to Lt. James Sullivan.
Washington’s criminal history includes two municipal convictions in New Jersey
and several convictions in Pennsylvania and New York, Burlington County. Wilson
has four indictable convictions in New Jersey and three municipal convictions,
as well as an unspecified New York conviction, Agre said. Court documents show
that in New Jersey he was convicted of burglary in 2001, shoplifting in 2007 and
shoplifting again in 2014, for which he is serving three years of probation.
(Source
burlingtoncountytimes.com)
Credit card scammers hit 5 towns, make $10G in purchases - buying gift cards at
local pharmacy - Likely part of a larger 'syndicate' Police have
discovered what they believe is a large-scale network of credit card scammers
who've been operating in Emerson, Westwood, River Edge, Waldwick and Wyckoff,
thanks to a Wyckoff pharmacy employee whose call led to the arrests of two Long
Island women. The worker called Wyckoff police Wednesday afternoon and told them
that one of the pair was trying to buy Visa gift cards with a bogus credit card
at the pharmacy, Chief Benjamin Fox said. They were carrying 28 fraudulent
credit cards and a fraudulent driver's license — all in the name of "Toni Smith"
— and Visa gift cards totaling $10,000, Fox said. The women are "likely part of
a larger credit card fraud syndicate in which they take blank credit cards and
emboss numbers into the card," the chief said. (Source
cliffviewpilot.com)
 Four
men arrested in credit card scheme in Tupelo, MS Four men have been
arrested in connection to a credit card fraud scheme. Tupelo Police arrested
Tevin Blevins, 20, of Chicago; Brandon Hughes, 19, of Gary, Indiana; Terrence
Moss, 32, of Chicago; and Gabriel Smith-Williams, 23, of Chicago. All four men
have been charged with credit card fraud. Several area businesses had reported
that a group of males were using counterfeit credit cards to make purchases.
Police officers took the descriptions and found the suspects in a local hotel's
parking lot. The four men are suspected of committing the same kind of crimes
earlier this month in Tupelo and in several other states throughout the South.
(Source
djournal.com)
 Surveillance
Video Of Ex-NBA Star Allegedly Shoplifting From Apple Store Released By
Scottsdale, AZ Police Police have released surveillance video of what
they claim shows Rex Chapman allegedly shoplifting about $14,000 worth of
products from an Apple Store. A standout guard for the Univ.of Kentucky, Chapman
played 12 seasons in the NBA, the last four years with the Phoenix Suns. Chapman
was arrested on September 19 for allegedly taking the Apple merchandise and
making it look he was paying via self checkout. According to Police, Chapman
proceeded to leave the store with the items and took them to a local pawn shop,
where he sold them for cash. Chapman allegedly stole the items over the course
of seven different trips to the store. Chapman reportedly earned about $22
million over the course of his NBA career. (Source
inquisitr.com)
 UK:
Armed men steal $400,000 of watches from Argyll Arcade in Glasgow, Scotland The
four balaclava-clad robbers escaped with a haul of designer watches after
raiding jewelers in the Glasgow's Argyll Arcade in broad daylight on Wednesday
afternoon. But police believe the gang - who remain at large - will struggle to
sell on the high-end timepieces because they are "too hot". It is understood
some of the stolen watches are worth around $50,000 each and, unless they were
stolen to order, the thieves will have trouble offloading the haul. Chief
Inspector Mark Sutherland said a team of officers is working to trace the
culprits. The gang smashed its way into four jewelers' shops - Rox, Mappin and
Webb, Laing the Jeweller and Lewis Grant - at around 1pm. They escaped with
designer watches only from Rox. Rox has said a number of high value watches,
including Hublot and Bell & Ross items, had been stolen in the robbery. They
have a combined value of $400,000. Bosses at Rox have hired a security guard to
give staff extra piece of mind. (Source
bbc.com)
|
 |
|
|
|
