3 Busted With Forged Checks, Credit Card Scanner In Darien: PD

DARIEN, CT — Three New York suspects were arrested on fraud and larceny charges on Nov. 16 after Darien police caught them with forged checks and credit card scanning device in the parking lot of the TD Bank on the Post Road.

Before being charged two of the three suspect tried to run away but were caught in a nearby office building parking lot.

The incident began just after 9 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the bank on a report of a "black BMW sedan with dark tinted windows [that] had been backed into a parking space in the corner of the lot for over an hour," wrote Darien police in a statement.

"The vehicle had left the lot at one point and crossed the post road to another lot. After a short time, the vehicle had driven through the TD Bank lot a second time at a slow rate.

"Officers found a vehicle matching the description given by the complainant in a parking lot directly across the street from TD Bank. The three occupants were detained and questioned about their being in the bank lot. During this time, K9 Kenny conducted a free-air sniff of the exterior of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a bag of suspected marijuana, several checks with various names written for varying amounts, and a credit card scanning device.

"At this time, Officers attempted to place the three occupants under arrest. Two of the three individuals fled the scene, engaging officers in a foot pursuit. With the assistance of responding units, both suspects were caught and detained on the property of a nearby office building."

While searching the three suspects, officers found numerous credit cards that did not belong to them.

"The cards would later be checked and show that they had been reprogrammed with account numbers unassociated with the account number on the card and often from different banking institutions than the card’s issuer," according to Darien police.

Arrested were:

Shemar Joachim DOB: 12/01/1998
Jamaica, NY
Charges:
53a-167a- Interfering with an Officer
53a-128f- Unlawful Reproduction of Credit Card
53a-125- Larceny 4th
53-388a- Unlawful Use of a Scanning Device
53a-128c- Credit Card Theft
53a-48- Conspiracy to Reproduction of Credit Card
21a-279a: Possession of Less than ½ oz. marijuana

Shabazz Baptiste DOB: 01/28/1998
Valley Stream, NY
Charges:
53a-167a- Interfering with an Officer
53a-128f- Unlawful Reproduction of Credit Card
53a-125- Larceny 4th
53-388a- Unlawful Use of a Scanning Device
53a-128c- Credit Card Theft
53a-48- Conspiracy to Reproduction of Credit Card
21a-279a: Possession of Less than ½ oz. marijuana

Jaylen White DOB: 03/19/1999
Jamaica, NY
Charges:
53a-128f- Unlawful Reproduction of Credit Card
53a-125- Larceny 4th
53-388a- Unlawful Use of a Scanning Device
53a-128c- Credit Card Theft
53a-48- Conspiracy to Reproduction of Credit Card
21a-279a: Possession of Less than ½ oz. marijuana

All three were each held in lieu of $25,000 bonds and are scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Nov. 27.

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