Police: Suspects Used Fake Checks To Purchase Apple Computers

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The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety has arrested three suspects in what the agency coined as an “elaborate scheme to defraud” the Apple retail store at North Point Mall.

New York City residents Ieisha K. Ashwood, 25, Napoleon Van Mills, 26, and Jaquanna Hendrickson, 23, were all arrested and charged with felony offenses in connection to the incident, the agency said in a press release.

Loss prevention staff at the store contacted Alpharetta officers on Saturday, Jan. 17 and told authorities a woman allegedly used 25 fraudulent American Express Travelers’ Checks to purchase two MacBook Pro computers.

Upon contacting American Express to confirm the check’s validity, it was discovered the same person allegedly purchased Apple products using fraudulent travelers’ checks at a different store the day before.

Alpharetta police made contact Ashwood at the store and detained her to conduct an investigation. The investigation revealed Ashwood was allegedly in possession of numerous fraudulent travelers’ checks and credit cards — and that she was not working alone, Alpharetta police spokesperson George Gordon said in the press release.

Alpharetta police identified her alleged accomplice, who was waiting outside the store in an automobile.

Two additional suspects — Mills and Hendrickson — were also detained. A search of their vehicle unearthed 128 fraudulent American Express Travelers’ Checks, Alpharetta police said.

Officers also seized two fraudulently purchased MacBook Pro’s, dozens of credit cards, debit cards and gift cards as well as personal identity information allegedly used by the group for identity theft purposes, Gordon added.

Through the investigation, officers learned Mills arrived recently to Atlanta by Amtrak from the Big Apple and the two remaining suspects also have addresses in New York City.

Additionally, detectives also learned the group may have committed an initial theft by fraudulent use of traveler’s checks in the Pennsylvania before arriving to Atlanta, Gordon said.

Both Mills and Ashwood have been charged with forgery in the fourth degree, conspiracy to commit a crime and forgery of a financial transaction card. Hendrickson was charged with forgery in the third degree and forgery of a financial transaction card.

All suspects were placed under arrest and transported to the Alpharetta Jail Annex. They were later placed in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.

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