Fairfield NJ police arrested three men accused of trying to use fake gift cards to purchase merchandise at a local Target.
According to police, the suspects walked into the Target store and tried to buy a number of electronic items using gift cards.
When the suspects handed the gift cards to a cashier at checkout, the cashier became suspicious. The cashier contacted store security, at which point the suspects immediately ran out of the store and fled the scene in a 2014 Infiniti.
The suspects reportedly drove onto Route 46, where police officers stopped their vehicle.
When the officers questioned the suspects, each man allegedly provided a different version of events. A subsequent search of the vehicle allegedly turned up several gift cards.
The suspects were placed under arrest. According to authorities, all three suspects are from New York.
According to authorities, police also found several gift cards in the suspects’ shoes, socks, and wallets while the suspects were being processed at Fairfield police headquarters. Police said that they found a total of 29 gift cards on the suspects.
Additionally, police officers allegedly found a small amount of marijuana in one of the suspects’ socks.
All three suspects have been charged with credit card fraud and possession of altered credit cards. Two of the suspects have also been charged with simple possession of marijuana.
After being arrested and charged, the suspects were released from police custody. They all have pending court appearances in Essex County Superior Court in Newark, New Jersey.
Fairfield police are continuing to investigate the case. Police impounded the suspects’ vehicle while awaiting approval for a search warrant. Additionally, Fairfield detectives are checking in with local financial institutions to determine the origins of the gift cards.
For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Fairfield Police Charge Trio of N.Y. Men in Alleged Credit Card Theft Ring.”
