Trio Charged in Gift Card Fraud

Ardsley - Authorities say that three men from Maryland were arrested Thursday after making fraudulent gift-card purchases from a Rite Aid Pharmacy on Saw Mill River Road and then fleeing from police. The trio has been linked to fraudulent gift cards in New York City and New Jersey, where they had received $70,000 in cash.

Police started a three-week investigation after $18,000 worth of American Express gift cards were purchased on June 22 from the pharmacy using stolen credit-card numbers. This investigation revealed that the men would use the stolen credit-card numbers to purchase thousands of dollars worth of American Express gift cards and then use the cards to purchase store gift cards from stores that sold high-end merchandise. They would use the gift cards to purchase the merchandise then they would return the merchandise to receive cash, police said.

Ronald Brannon, 22, Marquise Bethea, 20, and Paul Edwin Thomas, 25, were charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony.

Ardsley police are working with members of the Secret Service from the White Plains office. The suspects are expected to face federal charges.

Brannon, Bethea and Thomas are being held at the county jail without bail and are scheduled to appear Monday in Village Court.

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