Three residents from Kingston have been charged in connection with a fraud-related crime spree.
Thefts and frauds were being committed at various hardware and big box stores from Toronto to Ottawa.
Police say the scheme involved buying an expensive item – paying for it – leaving then store then return to the store with only the receipt. They would then put the same item in their cart – pick an inexpensive item to purchase at the cash and produce the receipt for the more expensive item they were stealing. They would then return the stolen item, with receipt and get a refund.
The accused ran the scam for seven months beginning in May – cheating 57 retail outlets. The total financial loss due to this theft and fraud scheme is estimated to be approximately $100,000 with one store alone suffering a loss of approximately $35,000.
Charged are: 51-year-old Derek Bennett, 45-year-old Sherri Allen and 51-year-old Victoria Wales.
