Gwinnett County

Identity thieves steal nearly $3 million from Walmart stores across state, police say

By Tony Thomas, WSB-TV
By Tony Thomas, WSB-TV

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Local police say an identity theft ring that has struck in almost every part of Georgia may still be in operation.

Channel 2's Tony Thomas spoke with Duluth police on Monday, who said the thieves have hit at least 124 Walmart stores in Georgia alone.

Duluth has warrants out, and other counties are considering even larger cases.

One of the suspects has turned himself in, but two others are still out there, including a man who police say they questioned at one point, but did not arrest.

Dash cam video shows how just moments after Walmart officials reported that Romain Henry was trying to use several bad credit cards in the Duluth store, police pulled Henry over.

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“You didn't swipe any cards?” the officer asks Henry in the video.

“No,” Henry replied.

Police ultimately let Henry go, and then later, detectives said they realized he might be involved in a much bigger operation: a ring of at least three men who police say charged more than $3 million on at least 500 bogus credit cards in Georgia alone.

“By doing a fake name and date of birth, but then a real Social Security number,” Duluth police Officer Ted Sadowski told Thomas. “They would bring that credit card to a home they lived in the past, or a vacant home that they knew no one was living at, so then they'd pick up the card and begin using it."

Police say the ring then went to Walmart locations several times a day, using the bogus cards to put nearly $500 at a time on Green Dot cards.

“It's probably a big ring, and I think for people, the ring leader here kind of teaching people how to do it, and they are still out there,” Sadowski said.

Duluth police have charged three men so far. Stanley Stany turned himself in months ago, but accused ringleader Rafeal Rosemond and Romain Henry have yet to be found.

Henry is a former Kennesaw State basketball player who told officers during that traffic stop that he now works for Convict Music.

“I've been on the road for the last 13 hours,” Henry told the officer during the traffic stop.

Police believe the ring operated across the Southeast and maybe into Texas.

Thomas learned that more charges against the men are likely through an indictment. At least one other metro county is considering RICO charges against the ring.

Cox Media Group

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