Craigslist sting nets Target theft arrest | Crime

PRATTVILLE, AL. (WSFA) - Complaints from a local Target store about strange and fraudulent returns prompted Prattville Police to conduct an undercover sting stemming from a Craigslist listing.

Wetumpka resident Kristy D. Morris, 36, was arrested for receiving stolen property after undercover authorities answered a Craigslist posting to purchase items they believed were stolen from a local Target store.

The Prattville Police Department originally received complaints that unknown females were purchasing electronic items, making a swap, and then returning the packages. The females would buy the electronic item, remove it and replace it with something similar in weight such as flour, brown sugar or baby formula. They would even go so far as to reseal and re-laminate to package to cover up the swap.

They would then return the package for a cash refund and attempt to sell the stolen item.

The suspect returned re-packaged items to stores in the Prattville, Montgomery, Birmingham, Auburn/Opelika and north Georgia areas. Other department stores have experienced the same type thefts.

Morris was arrested on Thursday after a search of her vehicle turned up a stolen iPad and 11 Nintendo DS games. In cooperation with the Wetumpka Police Department police were also able to recover thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise including nine iPhones, five iPods, eight Nintendo DS games, a Laptop Mouse, two Portable HD TV's, an Xbox 360 and four Xbox games.

As of now the investigation is ongoing and more charges and more arrests are expected. A female juvenile was also detained but has not been charged at this time.