Crime & Safety

Police: Facebook Post Leads to Arrest in Stolen Credit Card Shopping Spree

The two charged were identified after police posted their pictures on Facebook.

Pictures posted to the Howard County Police Department’s Facebook page led to the arrests of two people who police say stole credit cards and used them around town, according to a statement. 

Stephanie Nicole Stuart, 25, of Essex and Craig Kenneth England, 40, of Catonsville, face multiple counts of theft and credit card fraud after two cards were reported stolen on Feb. 8 from an employee at the Johns Hopkins Medical Building in Columbia, police said.

During the investigation, police said they determined that credit cards had been used later that day in stores in Ellicott City and Columbia, including at Target, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Office Depot, Game Stop and Advanced Auto Parts. The same woman and man were captured on video at several of the stores, according to police

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The police department posted pictures from the videos to its Facebook page and received a tip, according to the statement, which led them to identify Stuart and England as the pair in the videos.

Stuart was charged with eight counts of theft, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and six counts of credit card fraud.

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England was charged with eight counts of theft, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and four counts of credit card fraud.

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