Saline Police Blotter: Swisher Sweets Stolen, Identity Theft, Moneygram Fraud Foiled

A North Harris Street woman is suspected of stealing Swisher Sweets cigars from the Smoke Shop at 521 E. Michigan.

An employee showed police video of a woman apparently taking five packs of the Swisher Sweets. But she only paid for one. The alleged theft occurred April 4. The next day police interviewed the manager, who recognized the woman but didn’t know her by name. On April 10 the woman entered the store. The manager recognized her and called police.

Police arrived and interviewed her. According to the police report she said she might have accidentally taken several packages by accident. She told police she puts items she intends to buy in her pockets, but that she might have forgotten to pay for the items because she’s not sleeping well and it’s affecting her memory.

Police searched the woman. Finding nothing, they asked her to leave the store.

A few minutes later, the store manager flagged down the officer in the parking lot. The manager said that video showed the woman apparently taking two more boxes of cigars prior to police arriving.

Police went to the woman’s house. The woman told police she placed the boxes under her arms but put them down when she realized she didn’t have enough money to buy them.

The prosecutor's office authorized one misdemeanor complain for third degree retail fraud.

Woman Foils Moneygram Scam

A Saline woman called police after foiling a fraud attempt. The 44-year-old responded to a Facebook notice that offered to pay her to “wrap” her car in advertisement for Pepsi. The woman received a check in the mail April 13. She also received instructions to money gram a portion of the money to a screenshop to make the graphic for her car.

The woman decided to wait until the check cashed. It bounced. She received a second check from the advertiser but did not attempt to cash it.

Identity Theft

A 65-year-old Saline woman was victim of identity theft. Someone used her information to open a credit card account and had the information sent to a vacant house in Farmington Hills.

The woman received a mailing from the credit card company advising that an account was opened. She contacted customer service and learned of the forwarding address. The credit card was canceled. The owner of the vacant home provided the woman with all the mail.

Attempted Theft from Middle School

A 13-year-old Saline boy was caught trying to take an iPad from Saline Middle School May 5. He was leaving school when a school employee asked to search his binder. The employee found the iPad belonging to the school. The case has been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office.

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