East Garden City, NY - December 6th, 2014 - The Major Case Bureau reports the details of an arrest for Grand Larceny and Possession of a Forged Instrument that occurred on Friday, December 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm in East Garden City.
According to Crimes Against Property Squad detectives, defendant Michael Richards, 25, of Joan Court, Elmont, entered Bloomingdale's, 630 Old Country Road, and attempted to purchase eight (8) $1000.00 gift cards and a pair of jeans with a Visa Debit Card. After an investigation the Visa Debit card had been re-encoded with account information stolen from another financial institution belonging to a female victim.
A search incidental to a lawful arrest revealed that the defendant was in possession of five (5) additional re-encoded credit and gift cards. Further investigation led to the recovery of over 130 credit and gift cards that were also re-encoded with fraudulent bank account information.
Defendant Richards is being charged with 1 count of Grand Larceny 3rd Degree, 18 counts of Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd Degree and 1 count of Identity Theft 1st Degree. He will be arraigned on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at First District Court, Hempstead.