LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Three women used stolen credit cards to purchase $200,000 worth of gift cards from a Walmart in Denver, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Deputies responded to the incident at a Denver Publix last Tuesday. A victim said she had her purse stolen. Credit cards from the purse were later used at a nearby Walmart to purchase gift cards, deputies said.
Three female suspects were located a short time later and following a brief foot chase, they were arrested.
A vehicle was located that the suspects had been traveling in and 300 gift cards with a value of $200,000 were discovered, the sheriff’s report indicated. Also found were Western Union receipts sent to Chile worth large amounts of money.
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Javlera Vejera, 22, Salome Jara-Madriaza, 22, and Natalie Rowles, 37, all face multiple charges including larceny and identity theft.
Three suspects who at one point showed up at the scene and tried to claim ownership of the vehicle are also being sought in connection to the case. Ignacio Saldivia, 27, Javier Gonzalez, 24, and Santiago Benitez, 26, are suspected of committing similar crimes across the southeastern corridor of the U.S., detectives said.
Three of the parties involved are believed to be a part of the South America Theft Group, Florida and Georgia’s authorities said.