If you drive north of the Detroit metro for about two hours, you will arrive in Bay County, Michigan, sitting beside Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. The scenic area was recently the site of the arrests of two Detroit-area men who have been charged with credit card fraud and larceny.
The Bay County sheriff said that when the 21- and 22-year-old suspects were taken into custody, they were attempting to use credit cards to purchases Visa gift cards at a local grocery store.
When a Meijer employee approached the pair about the purchases, asking for ID, one of the men allegedly shoved her, grabbed gift cards and then the two fled the store.
About an hour later, law enforcement officials said, police responded to a report at another store where staff were suspicious of a man apparently trying to buy “a large amount of lottery tickets” with credit cards the store workers believed were stolen.
The suspect in the second incident apparently ran from the store. Police pursued on foot, eventually apprehending the man, according to a news report.
The other suspect attempted to walk away from the scene after he exited a parked car, but he, too, was taken into custody.
“They’re believed to be involved in a string of larcenies from autos throughout Bay and Midland counties and credit card frauds throughout the state,” the sheriff said.
Police said the vehicle the men were using had been reported stolen from Oakland County. They added that both men are wanted there on charges of armed robbery.
Clearly, the men face serious charges that could result in years behind bars if they are convicted. Rather than talk to investigators, both men should exercise their right to be silent, and speak instead to an attorney experienced in effective criminal defense.