Credit card fraud suspect shot in Safeway parking lot by Scottsdale police dies
They say Carr had a long criminal history in Arizona and Illinois, including armed robbery, aggravated assault and drug charges. Police also say Carr served prison sentences for armed robbery and other crimes. Carr was shot in the chest by police last week when officers say he tried to run them over while busting an alleged credit card fraud ring. Police say Carr and three other suspects were at a Safeway store and allegedly using stolen credit card numbers when they were busted. They say the other suspects are facing charges related to identity theft and credit card fraud.  fox10pheonix.com

$25 Million dollar ID theft ring busted in Jacksonville, FL  All it took was one phone call to unravel a multi-million dollar scam. The case began when a company called authorities to report that an $85,000 check it was expecting in the mail, never arrived. "That $85,000 check ballooned into a $25 million ID theft investigation," said U.S. Postal Inspector Darnell Edwards. Postal inspectors say one of the suspects was stealing checks, usually for large sums, right out of the mail. "They would slightly alter the name on the check to throw off the scent if you will," explained Edwards. For example, if the company was called ABCD, they would make it ABCD Incorporated. "They would go to the bank and indicate they were the owner or president of the company. They would open the business account, several days later they would deposit the fairly large check, they would draw down the account as quickly as they could," Edwards explained. In addition to opening up checking accounts, the suspects were also getting fraudulent credit cards in the names of the bogus businesses. One suspect agreed to allow postal inspectors to search his home. Investigators found plenty of evidence including 300 credit cards. "They were all sectioned off into sevens," said Edwards. "One for each day of the week. So Sunday, they would swipe x amount of credit cards for x amount of dollars, Monday, Tuesday." news4jax.com

WCSO Arrests Four Individuals Involved in Organized Retail Theft Ring that hit Saks Fifth Ave.  On Jan. 19, Walton County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call reporting a shoplifting incident at Silver Sands Premium Outlets in Sandestin. A pair of jeans valued at $317 could be seen inside the vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle and found more than $2,500 worth of stolen merchandise, including a large amount of alcohol. During the investigation, deputies were advised by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office of a theft of a large amount of alcohol from Destin and Fort Walton Beach earlier that same day. All suspects were identified by eyewitness statements and store security video. During the theft in Walton County, it was determined the four individuals worked as a team to distract the employees of Saks Fifth Avenue and collectively steal merchandise. waltonsun.com

Boston ORC Female duo busted in multi-state operation  Two Boston women were arrested at the Square One Mall in Saugus on Friday after they were allegedly found to be in possession of more than $6,000 worth of stolen goods from Maine and Massachusetts, Saugus Police said in a statement. Saugus Police arrested Ana Oliveira, 44, and Melissa Lopes, 32, charging them both with larceny over $250 and receiving stolen property over $250. Police said in a statement that additional charges may be pending. Police recovered 435 different items of clothing and household goods from 15 different stores in Saugus and Kittery. The total theft was valued at over $6,000.  boston.com

Oneida, N.Y. ORC Female duo being sought - hitting Walmart store for $3,475 in four days  The women went to the Walmart at 2024 Genesee St. three times over four days and stole hundreds of dollars in goods each time, police said. Police have released surveillance footage of the women at the store. On Jan. 8 around 7:06 p.m., the women took merchandise worth $1,459.88 police said. Then at 7:48 p.m., they took $830.70 in goods, officials said. Surveillance photos show that during this incident the women were accompanied by a man. Then on Jan. 11 around 7:21 p.m. the women were seen at the store again, this time to steal $1,185.08 in merchandise, police said. A loss prevention officer attempted to stop the women during this incident, but they ran to a white sport utility vehicle and drove off toward Lenox Avenue. syracuse.com


Mom pleads guilty to stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of baby formula from two Norton Shores Meijer stores  She and her daughter Lisa Surian are accused of stealing more than $1,500 worth of baby formula from the Meijer stores on Holton Road and Norton Avenue in September and October 2014. Court documents show they pleaded guilty to a similar larcency from a Greenville store only days before the first of the Norton Shores thefts. Susan Surian pleaded guilty Friday to one count of first-degree retail fraud. Lisa Surian has not yet entered a plea. Sentencing scheduled for Feb 23. woodtv.com

Serial Shoplifter busted hitting Macy's at Columbia Center Mall
Jessica M. Reddick, 31, tried to leave the store Monday night with $2,000 worth of clothes, police said. She is banned from all Macy's stores after several incidents where she allegedly stole items from various Tri-City stores. Reddick also reportedly had four felony warrants out for her arrest - all related to theft or shoplifting. tri-cityherald.com

Clay County, FL Deputies arrest 2 people accused of gift card scam  A man and a woman were caught using fraudulent credit cards at the BJ's off Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said the man and woman purchased cigarettes using a stack of gift cards. "From the best we can gather right now, they were provided a stack of gift cards in order to purchase cigarettes -- what we assume to sell on the black market," said CSCO Lt. Shawn Gordon. The manager called deputies because he said the pair was acting "suspicious." Once deputies arrived they said the male suspect showed them a fake ID before running off. They caught him shortly after in a nearby wooded area. Deputies said they believe the two were not from Clay County, or even the Jacksonville area. They believe the two traveled to the area to pull off the scam. "There's so many scams going on involving gift cards," Gordon said. "People are selling their gift cards, from my understanding. You just have to be mindful when you have your gift cards, if you're just laying them around, so people don't pick them up and steal them." news4jax.com

Man Dubbed 'Braveheart Bandit' Accused Of Multiple Store Thefts in Columbus, OH  Retail thefts are costing stores more than ever before. According to the city attorney's office, theft charges were slightly down in 2014. But, the average value of each theft increased from about $128 to $137. Authorities also say there's a trend with repeat offenders. In 2014, 81 percent of the theft cases were committed by people with prior criminal charges. One suspect that the office singled out was 21-year-old Christopher Peters. Peters has been dubbed the "Braveheart Bandit" because of a blue tattoo across his face. According to the city attorney's office, Peters was caught stealing eight times in 2014. He is currently wanted on three outstanding warrants. A news release states that Peters stole more than $322 worth of merchandise from Home Depot in March, a $380 vacuum cleaner from Anderson's in April, and additional Dysons valued at $849 from Target. In April, he stole $220 worth of clothes from Old Navy. 10tv.com

Man accused of stealing from nine Traverse City, MI stores
A downtown employee's uneasiness about a store browser lead to the arrest of a Cadillac man who's accused of stealing from nine businesses. The suspect, 27, brought his four-year-old to Traverse City, where they shopped, but neglected to stop at cash registers. Police apprehended the man on Jan. 18 after they received a complaint from a store owner, said Traverse City police Capt. Mike Ayling. Ayling said the man is suspected of stealing about $750 worth of merchandise from eight downtown businesses and GameStop in Garfield Township. recordeagle.com