Baltimore, MD., Ringleader in Check and Counterfeit Credit Card Fraud Schemes Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Federal Prison  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Egwolo Wilfred Otete, age 31, of formerly of Jacksonville, Florida and Beltsville, Maryland today, to 61 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for check and credit card fraud schemes with over 250 victims and losses of more than $468,000. In addition to the check fraud scheme, from October 2010 through November 2012, Otete conspired with co-defendants Aderomilehin, Fakeye, Akintuyi, Okpala, Hannah Moekay Konteh and others to execute a second scheme by obtaining stolen credit card numbers from individuals who worked in local businesses and "skimmed" credit cards. The skimmed numbers were used to re-encode credit cards the defendants already had. They directed co-defendants as to what to purchase. Individuals traveled to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia and other locations to conduct transactions. Otete and his co-conspirators attempted to obtain between $400,000 and $1 million as a result of the two fraud conspiracies, using the identities of more than 250 victims. justice.gov


Bedford Hills, NY: Pair Of Thieves Target High-End Consignment Shop  A thrift shop in an upscale Westchester neighborhood has become the target of thieves. Police said a couple walked into a consignment shop full of security cameras and walked out with more than $24,000 worth of purses. There was 13 security cameras and five employees and still, the man and woman were slick enough to spend about 40 minutes grabbing expensive bags completely undetected. And this may not be the first time the pair have done this. cbslocal.com


College Station, TX: Man and woman face a felony charge after stealing $5,000 worth of clothes from Sears  A man and woman face a felony charge after they allegedly stole more than $5,000 worth of clothes from the Sears at Post Oak Mall. Guillermo Andres Urbina and Iris Emerite Valle are charged with theft of property between the value of $1,500 and $20,000. Urbina is also charged with failure to identify for allegedly giving police a false name. According to Police, the pair allegedly stole 63 pairs of jeans and 56 shirts from the store. A manager who noticed a large amount of clothing missing on Aug. 12 viewed video surveillance, which police say showed Urbina taking stacks of clothing off shelves and Valle loading the items into a cart. On Aug. 19, a loss prevention officer noticed the two back in Sears, which led to their arrest. theeagle.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL: Trio sought in theft of tools from Home Depot
A theft of tools from a Home Depot is being investigated by Fort Lauderdale police. Investigators say several hammer drills worth about $2,000 were taken around 9:30 p.m. Monday from the store at 1000 NE Fourth Ave., said Fort Lauderdale Detective Keven Dupree. sun-sentinel.com



China: Family theft ring steals nearly 1,000 items across the county  Items stolen by a couple and members of their family are on display in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shannxi province. The couple, both in their 30s, abetted four children - the oldest 15 and youngest 11 - to commit more than 50 thefts in several cities, including Beijing and Nanjing. They have stolen nearly 1,000 items, including bicycles, shoes and bags. ecns.cn


Lincoln County, N.C. ORC male suspect arrested stealing electronics from Walmart stores - selling online - investigation ongoing