By Joe Johnson
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a pair of women who have stolen wallets belonging to employees at businesses in Athens and elsewhere in the state and using stolen credit cards to buy thousands of dollars in gift cards.
According to Athens-Clarke County police Detective Nathaniel Franco, the suspects struck in downtown Athens on May 14 at the Margo Sterling Silver jewelry store on East Clayton Street, where one suspect distracted an employee while the other stole the employee’s wallet from a purse located behind the sales counter.
Credit cards from the purse were reportedly used to purchase gift cards totaling as much as $4,000 in value.
“They have stolen employees’ wallets from businesses in Greensboro and Madison and then went and used those credit cards in those jurisdictions, just like in the Athens case,” Franco said. About a week ago, he said, a news story out of Byron used images of what appeared to be the same women fraudulently using credit cards that had been stolen from an employee’s purse at a business in Byron.
“This has been going on in metro-Atlanta for a few months and these subjects are likely part of a bigger group committing these crimes,” the Athens detective said.
If anyone can identify these females or has any information about these subjects or crimes, contact Franco at (762) 400-7100 or nathaniel.franco@accgov.com.