NY Pair Arrested in CT for Costco Self-Checkout Fraud

Two individuals from New York were apprehended in Connecticut on Sunday following an alleged credit card fraud attempt at a Costco store. Police identified the suspects as Brittany Howard, 35, and Kasheem Williams, 34. Employees at the South Windsor Costco alerted authorities after observing the pair attempting to use fraudulent credit cards at self-checkout stations.

The employees also informed officers that Howard and Williams had recently engaged in similar suspicious activity at a Costco location in Enfield. Upon their arrival, South Windsor police took both individuals into custody without incident. A subsequent search of their vehicle uncovered 28 credit cards bearing different names, as well as merchandise suspected to have been stolen from the Enfield store.

Hillard and Williams face multiple charges including second-degree larceny, payment card theft, and identity theft. Additionally, both had outstanding warrants from other states; Howard had a warrant from New Jersey for credit card theft, while Williams had warrants from New York for charges including burglary and assault.

The suspects were each held on $250,000 bonds and were scheduled for a court appearance. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges with payment card fraud, where card numbers can be compromised and used even if the physical card remains with its owner.