Mount Pleasant Police link together series of thefts from March
The months-long investigation discovered at least 20 victims
Mount Pleasant Police Department, assisted by the Michigan State Police Intelligence Unit and the Michigan Department of Corrections, are completing an investigation of a series of thefts that occurred in March.
Officers identified three suspects during their investigation. MPPD Public Information Officer Autume Balcom said the MPPD began working with the MSP Intelligence Unit and Department of Corrections once it began to dig deeper and link together multiple thefts.
"The suspects have a past of doing this in other locations," Balcom said. "This investigation extended to Georgia and Florida."
Two suspects have been charged and are awaiting arraignment. The third suspect has been identified by police, but is still at large. That suspect's last known location was southeastern Michigan, but police don't know if that person is still there or even in the state.
Police received the first complaint after a cell phone and credit cards were reported stolen March 3 at Wayside Central. Balcom said the suspects took items out of back pockets and unattended purses and bags.
Officers were aware the suspects were using stolen credit cards at self-checkout lanes in stores. Officers were posted outside Meijer later on March 3 and saw two male suspects trying to use multiple credit cards at a self-checkout lane. When police approached, the suspects fled the scene. Officers made contact with another suspect that stayed in a vehicle outside.
The majority of the stolen property reported stolen by the 20 known victims has been returned to the owners.
