STUART — The Secret Service is investigating two Miami men arrested by Stuart police on Saturday for passing counterfeit bills at Walmart at 4001 S. Federal Highway, police said.

Store clerks reported the two men for using fake $100 bills to make purchases. One of them was leaving the store when Officer Richard Serra arrived and stopped him in the parking lot, according to Sgt. Martin Jacobson of the Stuart Police Department. (more…)

STUART — An alleged crack dealer’s plan to allow a client to buy him shoes in exchange for drugs was stopped short by Stuart police Friday, according to an affidavit released Monday.

Michael Deshawn Harris, 30, of the 7900 block of Southeast Kingsway Street in Hobe Sound, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and resisting arrest without violence.

Police had been watching a foreclosed home in the 800 block of Southeast Nassau Street after a suspicious vehicle was reported parked in the driveway several times that day.
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A suspect in the credit card scheme.

The schemes have been reported in Wal-Marts in Stuart and Jupiter.

On each occasion, suspects are using the credit card account information on a counterfeit credit card to purchasing gift cards, police said. The suspects are driving a silver newer model Toyota mini-van, police said. They are believed to be out of the Dade or Broward County area.

Another suspect in the scheme. Photos provided by Stuart police.

February 27, 2009

SEBASTIAN — Police announced that a body found last month is that of Marcia Hulihan. State officials confirmed her identity through dental records. She had been reported missing in September.

According to TCPalm.com, authorities won’t be able to determine why Marcia Hulihan’s place of death was a watery canal just north of her apartment complex. Police do not suspect foul play in the case, but the state Medical Examiner’s Office was unable to say how the 50-year-old woman died.
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Retailers on Thursday reported dismal sales figures for December as even Wal-Mart Stores, one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy.

As merchants reported sales figures, confirming fears the holiday season was the weakest in four decades, the malaise cut through practically all areas from kitchen gadget stores to teen apparel retailers.

But the biggest surprise came from Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, which posted a smaller sales gain than what Wall Street expected and cut its fourth-quarter earnings outlook. (more…)

Shelby Goff, 10, picks out a Cabbage Patch Kids doll as her sister, Jessica, 8, and Fort Pierce Police Officer Jesse Streeter look on during this year's Shop With a Cop event at the Fort Pierce Wal-Mar.

Tuesday was his third time out perusing toys with kids as part of the holiday shopping spree paid for by Wal-Mart. The event gives families some extra help with gifts for the kids of the household.

So, as a toy-shopping veteran, here’s what Streeter’s learned: Keep the mental calculator running.

After all, someone’s gotta make sure there’s enough on the gift card donated by the retail giant to pay for every toy plucked from the aisles.

The event, Chief Sean Baldwin said, is a way for the department to show kids another side of law enforcement.

“Unfortunately, all they see of a police officer is when they’re taking enforcement action,” Baldwin said. “This is an opportunity to see the officer in a positive manner. … For these kids, the officers today are Santa Claus.” (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — Police are looking for a man accused of posing as a Wal-Mart employee selling LCD television sets at a discount.

One woman said she met the man wearing a Wal-Mart ID tag with the name “Bill” on it at Tina’s Café, according to police. There he talked about how the discount store had received five extra 40-inch televisions and was selling them at the invoice price of $319, down from $699, according to a police report.

The woman said she met “Bill” at the Wal-Mart on U.S. 1 and gave him $320 in cash. She and another man who also said he paid for a television stood outside the store waiting for “Bill,” who had gone inside to fill out paperwork, he told them.

After about an hour, the woman and the other man went inside the store to look for the television seller. A manager at the store then called police. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — A nine-year-old was arrested on Saturday after police say she tried to steal electric toothbrushes and candy from Wal-Mart.

According to loss prevention officer at the U.S. 1 department store, the girl walked in carrying a large purse shortly before 7:30 a.m. She then picked up two toothbrushes worth $186 and headed toward a register desk where she placed the brushes in a shopping back, according to a police report.

The girl then took the bag to the customer service desk where she tried to get a refund, telling cashiers there that her mother had purchased the brushes the day before and didn’t have the receipt with her. (more…)