Woman charged with theft in Waterville big-box scheme
Amy Marmanik of Augusta allegedly took pricey items off shelves in Walmart and Home Depot and then returned them in exchange for gift cards. Police allege that Amy Marmanik’s scheme to go into big box stores, take pricey items off the shelf and try to return them at the customer service desk worked to a point. She was given gift cards for the value of the items, but she also got a ride to jail after she was caught. Marmanik, 24, of 9 Lipman Road, Augusta, was arrested Monday after she reportedly took a combination child stroller/car seat from Walmart in Waterville and went to the customer service desk to return it, according to Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey. She was issued a gift card worth $220 from the service desk, the value of the stroller, he said. He said she attempted a similar theft at nearby Home Depot. (Source kjonline.com)

2 Ghana Nationals Nabbed in Credit Card Fraud Case in Bolingbrook, IL
An ongoing investigation by the U.S. Secret Service's Chicago Electronic Crimes Task Force led to Bolingbrook and the arrest of two Ghana Nationals on charges of credit card fraud. Both suspects were using stolen credit cards and "spoofing" IP addresses to order high-end electronics and to have the goods delivered to empty homes or dropboxes. (Source patch.com)

Switched UPC label thefts end in 25 city charges in Owensville, KY
An Owensville woman admitted to switching UPC (Universal Product Code) labels on Walmart merchandise then returning items she exchanged for gift cards, Owensville police report. Ashley Wood, 23, is charged through an Owensville Municipal Court summons with 25 counts of misdemeanor stealing. Wood was arrested Dec. 19 and admitted to 25 separate incidents which took place between October and December 2013. (Source gasconadecountyrepublican.com)


Police investigate $1000 Walmart theft in Brunswick, NC, believe it's an inside job  According to police reports, Walmart noted three Galaxy Tab 3s and a Nintendo 3DS-XL was taken off their delivery truck and removed from the boxes. The reports say the empty boxes were put inside different totes that were to be placed out for inventory. According to officials, this incident happened twice, once Dec. 23 and again Dec. 26. (Source wect.com)



Girl gang sought in heists at 2 local Apple stores in Philadelphia area
A girl gang is hitting some sour notes at Apple Stores and police are hot on the trail of the female crew accused of stealing pricey gadgets from area outlets. According to police and loss prevention personnel at the Apple Store in the King of Prussia Mall, the young women have a standard shoplifting technique: Two of them act as lookouts while a third distracts a salesperson. Two other women then steal merchandise and conceal it in bags before leaving. Upper Merion police reported that the women hit the Apple Store in the King of Prussia Mall Jan. 3 and Jan. 4. They’re thought to be the same culprits in similar heists at Apple stores in Lower Merion, Willow Grove and Philadelphia. In King of Prussia, the suspects made off with two iPad Airs and 20 iPhones. (Source pottsmerc.com)

Three men arrested in theft of $3,000 worth of baby formula from A&P in Mahwah, NJ  Police said the three men pushed shopping carts through the A&P market on Franklin Turnpike shortly before 7:30 p.m., filled up the carts with the product and rushed out of the store without paying. A supermarket employee in the parking lot tried to stop the men, police said, but was injured when one of them punched him in the face. (Source northjersey.com)

Fresno Police Career Criminal Auto Theft unit makes Cargo/ Truck bust  Fresno police believe that they may have helped curtail a theft ring involving big rigs, trailers and the products they carry after a repeat offender was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon in southwest Fresno. Arrested was Mario Perez, 39, was detained near after detectives watched a trailer containing cereal that was taken Wednesday morning west of Highway 99. (Source fresnobee.com)