SOMERSET, Pa. – Somerset State Police are searching for a Johnstown-area man wanted in connection with a three-county credit card fraud scheme that defrauded Walmart stores of more than $8,000 in food and merchandise. The authorities have announced that.
State police charged Jesse Curtis Fields, 35, of the 500 block of Hershberger Road, with eight counts each of access device fraud, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
According to a charging affidavit, Fields was ordering food and merchandise at a Walmart on North Center Avenue in Somerset.
Fields allegedly claimed that the product was missing in order to get a full refund.
Between July 17 and September 3, Fields allegedly used a fake name and a fake credit card to place eight orders totaling $1,588.23.
The order also included Nintendo games and food. The charges were filed with Somerset District Judge Kenneth Johnson.
Fields allegedly committed similar fraud in Cambria County from July to September.
Fields and others went to Walmart on Town Center Drive in Richland Township to order $7,201.48 worth of items, including pasta, bacon, steak and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game. He allegedly used a false name and address and 175 different credit cards.
Richland Township police charged Fields with 175 counts each of theft by deception, access device fraud, identity theft, criminal use of a communication facility, and receiving stolen property. The charges were filed with Upper Yoder Township District Judge Susan Gindlesperger.
Walmart security said Fields allegedly placed an order online, picked up the order and left the store, then called to complain that the order was incorrect and received a full refund.
Officers said Fields attempted a similar scam in Blair County.
Patrick Bushnowski is a reporter for the Tribune-Democrat. Contact him at 532-5061. Follow him on Twitter @PatBuchnowskiTD.