NEARBY: Freeport Residents Busted in Identity Theft Scheme

Three people, including two from Freeport, were arrested after they allegedly broke into lockers at fitness centers and skimmed victims’ credit and debit cards, cops said.

According to Suffolk County Police, after noticing a pattern developing in January, Suffolk’s First Precinct shared the information with the Fourth Precinct, which had been dealing with a similar string of incidents in December.

The suspects would break into lockers, use a portable skimming device to capture information from debit and credit cards, photograph personal information from driver’s licenses and then return the items to the lockers. The stolen information would then be loaded onto a fraudulent credit card and purchases were made, cops said.

Latique Oates, 19, of Freeport, was charged with 14 counts related to identity theft and Rameez Senior, 19, of St. Albans, was charged with eight counts related to identity theft. The two are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday.

Andre Clayton, 19, of Freeport, was charged and arraigned in February in relation to this case on third-degree grand larceny, petit larceny, third-degree assault, second-degree possession of a skimming device, third-degree unlawful possession of personal identification information and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Also arrested was Kewon Brandon, 17, of Freeport, who was charged with unlawful possession of a skimming device, unlawful possession of personal identification information, third-degree assault and petit larceny.

Law enforcement officers in Connecticut and New Jersey are also investigating the possibility that these suspects are responsible for similar crimes there.   

The suspects used the stolen information to buy gift cards and/or  make purchases at BJ’s Wholesale and Home Depot.

The investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this case or believe they may have been a victim of these individuals are asked to call the Suffolk County Identity Theft Unit at 631-852-6821 or anonymously Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.