Police Bust $500K iPhone Theft Ring Operating In Mall Apple Store
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Police in Fort Lauderdale said they busted an elaborate iPhone theft ring.
The last of the suspects turned himself into authorities Thursday.
According to police, the team of seven worked together to take $500,000.00 in products from Apple based at The Galleria Mall on East Sunrise Boulevard.
Police said the team's leader was 26-year-old Devon Persad.
Here's how police said the team worked: The ring leader would contact an accomplice at Best Buy for serial numbers and the Apple team members would use those serial numbers to list the phones as exchanges.
The Apple Loss Prevention Team caught onto the scheme after noticing excessive exchanges among the same employees.
When interviewed by police, the team members said they would receive between $45 and $75 for each transaction. During the investigation, detectives learned there were close to 600 fraudulent iPhone exchanges.
The suspects are:
Devon Persad, 26
Adam Alvarez, 24
Daniel Scott, 44
Sean Flynn, 25
Anthony Tranchida, 22
Otis Ferguson, 37
Sadia Dandia, 28
The team has been charged with one count of obtaining property over $50,000 by fraud, one count of grand theft less than $100,000 and one count of stolen property organized.
Anyone with more information can contact the Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
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