Man guilty in theft scheme

October 02, 2000|By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI

Man guilty in theft scheme

A Washington County man and woman appeared in Washington County District Court last Thursday on credit card theft charges in connection with $5,800 charged on a stolen Sheetz credit card.

John Fitzgerald Arvin Sr. of 13 E. Green St. in Funkstown, and Gina Faye Swartz, of 673 Highland Way in Hagerstown, were charged with 20 counts each of theft of less than $300 and use of another person's credit card, and one count each of theft scheme more than $300 and credit card theft.

Arvin pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft scheme and the remaining charges were dropped, said Assistant Washington County State's Attorney Michelle Flores. A presentence report was requested.

Conviction on a felony theft scheme charge is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

Arvin also pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a 1987 Saab belonging to the owner of the stolen credit card, Flores said.

Arvin was being held at the Washington County Detention Center Monday and will be transferred to the Department of Corrections to complete his sentence, a Washington County Sheriff's deputy said.

Swartz requested a jury trial through her attorney Ed Button, said Flores.

Flores said the case could go to trial in October or November.

Hagerstown City Police were notified June 20 that $5,800 in unauthorized charges had been made on Clifford Allen Metger's Sheetz credit card, according to charging documents.

Metger was unaware the credit card was missing until he was called by the Sheetz Corporation and told there was suspicious activity on his account, charging documents said.

His balance rose from zero to $5,800 between June 13 and June 19. Numerous cartons of cigarettes and other items had been charged to the account, charging documents said.

Metger told police that his wife's Sheetz card was missing and may have been taken by his daughter, Gina Faye Swartz and her boyfriend John Fitzgerald Arvin, according to allegations in charging documents.

A loss prevention officer with Sheetz told police that the 41 unauthorized transactions were made at Sheetz stores on Potomac Avenue, East Washington Street and South Potomac Street.

The charges stopped when the card was declined on June 19 when Arvin attempted to buy a root beer soda and $400 worth of cigarettes at the Sheetz store on East Washington Street, charging documents said.

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