A Flushing, New York, man faces more than 30 charges after Greenwich Police plainclothes officers allegedly caught him using stolen credit cards to buy Apple products in the central business district, Greenwich Free Press reported.
Yu Chen, 36, was arrested Thursday, Aug. 27. His bond was set at $250,000.
Investigators recovered an iPhone valued at $1,399 and an Apple Watch valued at $799. Police said both items were purchased with stolen credit card information.
The charges include multiple counts of payment card theft, identity theft in the third degree, criminal impersonation, larceny in the third degree, illegal possession of personal identification devices and illegal use of a scanning device, along with conspiracy counts for each, according to Greenwich Free Press.
Officers from the Greenwich Police Department's Organized Retail Crime and Fraud Unit, known as ORCA, made the arrest after conducting surveillance in the area. The plainclothes unit has operated since 2020, targeting fraud, larceny and identity theft in Greenwich's Central Business District.
Police allege Chen conspired with another individual to use multiple stolen payment cards. When he entered a nearby vehicle, investigators stopped him. During an on-scene interview, police said Chen gave inconsistent statements about why he was in the area and admitted he did not know whose cards he was using. He told officers "he was told to download an app to purchase specific items," according to police.
Chen is scheduled to appear at Stamford Superior Court on Friday, Sept. 11.
Residents who suspect credit card fraud or organized retail theft can contact the Greenwich Police Department's non-emergency line at 203-622-8004.
