Fake Minister Stole Bridesmaids' Credit Cards On Cape Cod: Police

YARMOUTH, MA – Police have issued a warrant for a man accused of posing as a minister in order to steal bridesmaids' credit cards at a wedding on Cape Cod. A woman told police she had been married Sept. 15 at a resort in South Yarmouth, and several bridesmaids had their credit cards stolen from a locked room where there belongings were being stored.

The woman said a nondenominational minister named James Stern officiated the wedding. Stern, 39, of Portsmouth, RI, was not a licensed officiant in Massachusetts, which rendered her marriage invalid, according to police.

Stern has a lengthy criminal record in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut for crimes such as identity fraud and credit card fraud, as well as burglary, police said. Yarmouth police are seeking his arrest on charges of larceny of $1,200 by false pretense and impersonating a public official (Justice of the Peace).

The investigation is ongoing and police said they may seek additional charges. Anyone with information is asked to contact Yarmouth Police Detective Michael Wells at 508-775-0445 extension 2358 or by email at mwells@yarmouth.ma.us.

Image via Yarmouth PD