New Canaan police on Monday night arrested a South Carolina trio that’s been committing fraud here and in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, officials said.
The three individuals—a 28-year-old man from Irmo, S.C., and two women, a 26-year-old from Lexington, S.C. and 25-year-old from Aiken, S.C.—each were charged with conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny, according to a press release issued by Police Chief Leon Krolikowki.
At about 9:36 p.m., they tried to commit fraud by using gift cards to buy more gift cars—“usually a sign of criminal activity,” Krolikowski said.
“Subsequently, the suspect vehicle was stopped in the Walgreens parking lot. The suspect vehicle was searched and valuable, suspected fraudulently obtained merchandise was seized.”
A subsequent investigation found that the trio was trying to commit fraud, police said.
The arrested man has an extensive criminal history in Georgia and South Carolina, including multiple forgery arrests, the chief said.
He was held on $5,000 bond and scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Norwalk. The women each were held on $2,500 bond and also scheduled for a Norwalk arraignment.
New Canaan police now are working with other law enforcement officials to determine what additional crimes the three may have committed, the chief said.
“The success of this investigation is the direct result of the diligence and aggressiveness of the members of the New Canaan Police Department’s Patrol Division, and a Walgreen’s employee that was observant whom provided critical information to investigating officers,” Krolikowski said.