By LEONARD GRAY

LAPLACE – Local store management hit by a stolen credit card scam on Nov. 6 have suggestions to make to prevent similar occurrances, both for consumers and for stores.

A stolen credit card in Reserve led to a one-day $3,500 shopping spree that ended with the arrest of four people in LaPlace. Capt. Michael Tregre, of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the investigation is continuing and more charges are anticipated.

Gladys Sympson of The Stage in LaPlace was one of those victimized by the recent illegal shopping spree.

“It could be anyone, of any age or any race,” she said, and urged fellow merchants to instruct their staff, especially during the coming Christmas shopping season to always verify identification with credit card purchases. “When I go shopping, I like for them to ask for indentification.”

Tregre said two vehicles were burglarized on Nov. 6 on Ellen Street in Reserve, of a 1993 Nissan Altima and a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. Radios were stolen in both vehicles and a wallet from the Nissan.

Inside the wallet was a Visa credit card.

Before the day was out, that Visa card made appearances at the Chevron Station in Reserve ($15 in gasoline), an attemped ATM withdrawal, an Internet order of a workout suit from Eastbay ($295), at Auto Zone for auto parts ($291), The Stage for clothing items ($455), Advance Auto for a carburator and other auto parts ($600), back to The Stage for an attempted purchase and to Wal-Mart ($906). Other purchases along the way came to a grand total, at this point, of $3,521.

It all began to unravel with the first stop at The Stage, where one of the users filled out an employment application with her correct name, address and telephone number. That visit by several young woman, at 10:42 a.m., later provided detectives with the name, address, phone number and other pertinent information on one of the suspects.

When a second visit was paid by two men at 1 p.m., Sympson was suspicious and asked for identification. They said they would return and never came back.

Along the way, all the activity brought in Detective Lt. Ken Mitchell and Detective Sgt. Ricardo Colas, who soon pegged the suspects.

“We sat and watched our surveillance video together,” Sympson added, and she praised the prompt work of the detectives.

The Stage expects to bring in $32,000 on the day after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of Christmas shopping. To further assist in store security, Sympson said an off-duty deputy will be on hand in the store.

She added the store will likely make $2.7 million for the year.

Similarly, at Advance Auto Parts in LaPlace, manager Jim Powers said he is mindful of the hazards small businesses face with such false purchases.

“The credit card company reported the theft to us that afternoon, but they had already been here,” Powers said.

Both Powers and Sympson advised writing “Ask for ID” in the signature space on the back of the credit card, both to safeguard the store and to ease the transaction with the proper credit card holder.

The investigation continued, and when the Internet order delivery of the warmup suit was made, it was actually the detectives making the delivery. When the package was signed for, the search warrants came out, and the arrests were made.

Arrested were Lester Gardner Jr., 20, of 983 Whitlow Court, suspected of the vehicle burglary and charged with possession of stolen items valued at more than $500, four counts of bank fraud and four counts of forgery.

Also arrested were his sister, Shuntell Gardner, 25, of 978 Whitlow Court, and of his girlfriend Niasha King, 21, of 983 Whitlow Court, and her sister, Taieka King, 19, of 983 Whitlow Court. Each were charged with two counts of bank fraud and Niasha was also charged with one count of forgery.

Bond was set on Lester Gardner at $6,500 by 40th Judicial District Judge Mary Hotard Becnel, and on the three women at $6,500 each.

Shuntell Gardner posted her bond and was released.