Last week law enforcement officers with the Poplarville Police Department charged two with credit card fraud in two separate cases.
The first incident occurred on Dec. 11 at a local convenience store when a female suspect walked in with a credit card number, Poplarville Police Department Cpt. James Steinkamp said. The female suspect did not have physical possession of the card. The clerk at the store, later identified as 24-year-old Chris Waggoner of 2016 East Canal Street, Picayune, manually entered the numbers, cancelled the sale and gave the suspect the cash, Steinkamp said.
The police were alerted by the credit card bearer on Dec. 12, Steinkamp said.
As part of their investigation, police officers viewed surveillance footage and observed Waggoner cancel the sale, hide the money and then give it to the female suspect, Steinkamp said.
Waggoner was charged with felony credit card fraud, Steinkamp said. The investigation is ongoing to identify the female suspect and more charges may be pending, Steinkamp said.
In an unrelated case, on Dec. 13, the Poplarville Police Department was contacted by a credit card owner who reported unauthorized charges on her card, Steinkamp said.
She discovered the card was missing after visiting a local restaurant, Steinkamp said.
Upon checking her bank account, the victim noted two unauthorized charges made at a local gas station, one for $4.79 and the other in the amount of $34.54 on Dec. 13, Steinkamp said.
The manager of the gas station viewed the surveillance video of the time the card was swiped and when the suspect entered the business again, employees alerted the police department, Steinkamp said.
The suspect was identified as Karen Nicole Odom, 40, of 973 Highway 26 East and she was charged with misdemeanor credit card fraud.