Smile! Teen Caught By ATM Cam Cashing In Stolen Cell Phones

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Police say charges are pending against a Gwinnett County, Ga., teenager, who was photographed as she cashed in stolen cell phones at two local malls last month.

Taylor Soojung Kim, 17, apparently didn’t realize she was in front of a camera as she allegedly exchanged the phones for cash at EcoATM machines inside Gwinnett Place and Sugarloaf Mills malls. The phones, which were recovered and returned, were valued at more than $5,000, police said. It is unclear how much money the ATMs paid for the phones.

• RELATED: Photos Taken While Suspect Cashed in Stolen Cell Phones

Gwinnett Police spokesperson Cpl. Michele Pihera said charges were expected to be filed Tuesday evening, but added other people may be involved in the crime. She said Kim was cooperating with authorities.

Monday morning, police released images of the teen which showed the bright-red-haired teen during the alleged transactions. She flashed a big smile in one of the photos, which were taken by the ATM machines.

By Monday night, tips from people who recognized the teen in media coverage of the incident led to her positive identification, police said.

The cell phones were reportedly stolen June 20 or 21 during a car break-in on Christiana Drive in unincorporated Gwinnett County near Lawrenceville. The phones were to be part of a cell phone store promotion on June 21, Pihera said.

Also stolen in the break-in were several SIM cards, cash and the victim’s driver’s license.

Pihera said on June 23, 26 and 28, the suspect cashed in the phones at the EcoATM machines, which pay cash for unwanted cell phones.

“A female is photographed selling all 26 phones to the machines over the course of the three dates,” Pihera said in a news release on Monday. “The suspect uses the victim’s stolen driver’s license to complete the transaction. She likely received $10-$200 for each of the phones depending on their value.”

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Photos: Cell-phone theft suspect; Gwinnett Police PIO (EcoATM images)