Trio charged with illegal shopping spree

Clerk goes on shopping spree with customer's card

Date published: 9/25/2007

BY KEITH EPPS

Three Fredericksburg women were charged Saturday after going shopping with a credit card that had been inadvertently left at the store where one of them worked.

City police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe said the victim had last used the card at the Valero gas station on Plank Road.

She left the card behind and was not aware that it was missing until being contacted by city police Saturday, Bledsoe said.

Police said a woman who works at Valero picked up the customer's credit card and went to the Wal-Mart in Central Park with two of her friends.

They used the card to purchase less than $200 worth of items. Bledsoe said a manager was suspicious because none of the three had identification, but allowed the purchases because the card had not been reported stolen.

However, an employee got the suspects' vehicle tag number and called police. An officer went to a city apartment complex and eventually arrested the three suspects.

Anoushka Deleon, 26, the Valero employee, was charged with credit card fraud, identity theft, forgery, petty larceny, credit card larceny and obtaining money by false pretenses.

Francesca Smith, 22, and Samantha Washington, 23, both of Fredericksburg, were charged with conspiracy to commit credit card larceny.

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Date published: 9/25/2007