Seven Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Crimes Related To ATM Skimming And Counterfeit And Stolen Credit Cards
"Today, we arrested seven defendants who allegedly stole debit and credit card numbers using sophisticated skimming devices installed on ATMs, and then used that information to defraud victims out of thousands of dollars. Furthermore, from November 2015 through December 2015, PRELAJ and BATSKA fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars of merchandise at department stores in Manhattan by using at least one credit card that had been stolen from a victim by BOGIC.  justice.gov

Haverhill, MA: Workers steal over $500,000 of Lobster Meat from a Distribution Center
A scheme to steal frozen lobster meat was carried out by employees of the Hans Kissle food manufacturing facility. Investigators said the thieves sold the lobster meat on the black market to businesses across New England. The thieves were identified when Hans Kissle managers reviewed surveillance video from the business. eagletribune.com

Marion, OH: Multi-county ORC ring stole $250,000 in groceries to buy drugs
Wendy Emmons, 46, and her sons, Justin, 26 and Jordan, 24, all of Marion, avoided a jury trial Monday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court by each agreeing to plead guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony, instead of additional counts that would have doubled their sentences. Five others had earlier pleaded guilty. According to testimony before the trial was to start, the thieves had described entering Kroger, Meijer and other stores and filling carts with large quantities of beef jerky, detergent pods, bags of candy or batteries. They would distract security guards and elude loss prevention measures to leave the store without paying. While the defendants agreed to pay more than $48,000 in restitution, prosecutors estimate that up to $250,000 in merchandise may have been stolen between May 2014 and December. dispatch.com

Atlanta, GA: Man accused of swapping $28,000 diamond with fake
A man stole a $28,000 diamond and walked right out the front door of a Cobb County jewelry store. Employees at D. Geller and Son on Cobb Parkway in Smyrna said the man swapped the real diamond with a fake one while standing feet from an employee. The man spent two hours in the store on Monday and returned after closing to say he wanted to buy the engagement diamond he eyed earlier, employees said. Assistant manager Candy Johnson said the man told the staff he needed to step outside for a cigarette right when he seemed ready to pay for the diamond. "We realized about as soon as he left that he had swapped our two-carat diamond with a cubic zirconium," Johnson said. fox5atlanta.com ajc.com

Riverhead, NY: Wal-Mart worker stole more than $10,000 worth of merchandise Riverhead woman had been charged with grand larceny in connection with the theft of $10,782 in merchandise from the Riverhead Wal-Mart. Police said they arrested Bianca N. Roberson, 24, a former Wal-Mart employee, after a months-long investigation by Wal-Mart Asset Protection. Roberson worked in concert with numerous subjects in removing merchandise, totaling more than $10,273 from the store, police said. riverheadlocal.com

Ulster, NY: Macy's Employee and customer charged in $3,000 theft
Macy's employee and a customer were charged by town police with stealing merchandise from the store. Police said they began an investigation after receiving a complaint from the store's loss prevention department on Monday afternoon. Police said Audrey C. Bullock, 32, of Prospect Street, Kingston, who was employed by Macy's at the time, voided out a transaction, allowing Davey Sanchez, 37, of Route 28, Kingston, to leave the store without paying for $684.48 worth of merchandise. Police said further investigation revealed that Bullock allowed two other acquaintances, on two other dates, to leave the store without paying for merchandise, too. The total value of merchandise taken was under $3,000. recordonline.com