Tag Archives: Arrest

by | March 5, 2013 · 8:21 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Alabama Motel Clerk Arrested For Stealing 23 Guests’ Credit Card Information; No Background Check Because It Was “Too Expensive”

“…(the motel clerk) used his position to remove credit card information from 23 customers from the motel database and used 12 of the card numbers in a fraud scheme to steal cash from the business…the owner Hotel Credit Card Fraudadmitted that he did not do a background check prior to hiring this person…the background check was too expensive…”

Mobile police have arrested a man for credit card fraud and trafficking in stolen identities after they say he took credit card information from 23 motel customers. Police said Bryant Onell Niles, 28, worked as a desk clerk at the Baymont Inn Suites in Mobile, where the alleged crimes took place.

Police said he was found in possession of the 11 unused credit card numbers with names and expiration dates belonging to former customers of the motel. Mobile police said last year, Niles was working as a desk clerk at an unnamed hotel when he stole credit card information from a person who had stayed at the hotel.

Police said he used the guest’s information to book hotels for himself and his friends. That’s how authorities say they caught him.

For more:  http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/mpd-hotel-clerk-stole-23-credit-card-numbers

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by | February 15, 2013 · 6:46 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Hawaii Hotel Employee Arrested For Stealing $11,000 Worth Of Jewelry And Goods From Luggage In Storage Room

“…a review of video surveillance of the storage room revealed that Bueno allegedly entered into the storage room through the service elevator, picked up and concealed the bags within his work cart and exited the hotel securitystorage room…a few minutes later shows (him) allegedly reentering the storage room and placing the bags back on a bellman cart, then exiting again through the service elevator…”

An employee from a hotel in Wailea was arrested on Monday on suspicion of theft after a couple visiting from Maryville, MI, reported more than $11,000 in jewelry and other goods missing from their bags after check-in, police said. Maui police arrested resort houseman, John Bueno for alleged second degree theft in connection with the incident.

According to police reports, the couple arrived at the hotel at around 1:20 p.m. on Monday Feb. 11, checked their bags with a bellman, and proceeded to the pool area to wait until their room was ready.

A few minutes later, police say the female visitor returned to the bell desk and inquired about one of the bags to retrieve an item from within. A check of the storage room found all of their bags missing, and a search of the area by security personnel and hotel managers turned up with negative results.

A few minutes later, another check of the storage room revealed that the bags were returned; however, upon checking each bag, it was learned that various pieces of jewelry and a camera totaling $ 11,100 were missing, said Maui Police Lt. Wayne Ibarra.

Bueno was placed under arrest later that afternoon, and posted bail, which was set at $1,000. He is scheduled to appear in court at 10:30 a.m. on March 14, 2013.

For more:  http://mauinow.com/2013/02/14/wailea-hotel-worker-arrested-in-theft-case/

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by | January 26, 2013 · 7:57 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Pennsylvania Restaurant Manager Charged With Stealing Over $160,000; Made “Unauthorized ATM Withdrawals, Credit Card Purchases”

“…a certified public accountant’s review found that (he) made a string of unauthorized ATM withdrawals, unauthorized credit card purchases and unauthorized check card purchases totaling $163,601 from the employee theftbusiness accounts of Cosmopolitan…in addition to dinner cruises and visits to a strip club, (he) allegedly spent the money on household items at a retail store…”

A former general manager of Cosmopolitan in Allentown allegedly stole $163,601 from the restaurant and spent it on things like dinner cruises and visits to a strip club.

Cosmopolitan opened in October 2010. Fortunato was hired in September 2010 and promoted to general manager about a month later, District Attorney Jim Martin’s office said today in announcing the charges.

Fortunato’s responsibilities included overseeing the daily operations of the restaurant, handling employee payroll, paying bills to suppliers and collecting receipts for the business.

Fortunato also was given check-signing authority for the restaurant’s various bank accounts and ATM/debit card account at Wells Fargo Bank, a Visa card, an American Express account and access to cash receipts at the restaurant, Martin’s office said.

His responsibilities included using any of the accounts, but only for operations of the restaurant, according to the district attorney’s office.

Last June, Cosmopolitan co-owner Myron Haydt was reviewing the restaurant’s financial records and found a series of suspected unauthorized purchases by Fortunato, according to the statement.

For more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2013/01/former_manager_of_allentowns_c.html

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by | January 18, 2013 · 8:53 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Arkansas Hotel General Manager Arrested For “Promoting Prostitution At Property”; Rented Rooms Hourly To Accommodate Sex For Money

“…a serious crime because it’s such a spider web into other facets, robberies stem from this, assaults, rapes…Police say the activity not only violates state statutes regarding prostitution but violates the city’s Hotel Prostitution ringssexually oriented business ordinances…”

The general manager and employee of a Fort Smith hotel were arrested Tuesday (Jan. 15) for promoting prostitution in the business, according to police. A six-month investigation revealed general manager John Lee Rohlin, 42, and his employee Jonathan Richard Bean, 28, regularly rented rooms at the Season’s Inn on south Waldron to individuals by the hour to accommodate men and women engaging in sex for money, a police report states.

The arrests stunned guests Thursday afternoon. “It will be scary because it’s something illegal you know,” said Monsour Alhussain, a hotel guest. A confidential informant tipped off the police about the prostitution in June, according to police.

Both men were booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center and released on $1,500 bonds.

For more:  http://5newsonline.com/2013/01/17/hotel-employees-arrested-on-promoting-prostitution-charge/

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by | January 5, 2013 · 7:45 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Washington Hotel Room Used By “Major Identity Theft And Forgery Ring”; Police Seize Laptops, Lamination Machine And Bags Of Stolen Mail

“These labs tend to be mobile…they go from hotel to hotel…the room contained a computer, two laptops, laminating paper, card stock, check stock and a hot laminator machine along with identification, checks and identity theftbags of mail that had been stolen. Also seized were more than 100 licenses and other IDs, roughly 20 hard drives and numerous other media storage devices, such as thumb drives and memory chips.

Police and U.S. Secret Service agents believe they have taken down a major identity theft and forgery ring involving at least a dozen suspects and more than 100 victims. The number of victims could grow as experts analyze computer hard drives and video surveillance footage from businesses where the suspects tried to get money. As of Friday evening, authorities estimated more than $45,000 had been stolen, but said that amount is likely to grow.

Evidence is being examined at the Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Force lab in Seattle. Many of the victims — both individuals and businesses — are from Everett, but the center for the operation was traced to a hotel room in Shoreline.

That’s where police and the Secret Service found what amounted to a ID-theft factory Thursday.

For more:  http://heraldnet.com/article/20130105/NEWS01/701059947

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by | December 12, 2012 · 7:22 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Illinois Restaurant Manager Charged With Stealing Over $10,000 In Employee Paycheck Scam; Forged Names On Bogus Paychecks

“…she allegedly used information records of at least four former workers to pull off the scam, which came to light only after one of those former workers took concerns to the restaurant’s owner…created the accounts, employee theft“clocked in” workers to show they worked certain hours and then forged their names on the resulting paychecks…”

The manager of the Jerseyville McDonald’s restaurant was charged this week, accused of theft for allegedly using former workers’ information to create bogus paychecks that she cashed for herself.

The amount of money involved is likely in the tens of thousands of dollars, although Jersey County State’s Attorney Ben Goetten said the case still is being investigated.

“This should be a wake-up call to other business owners out there,” he told The Telegraph.

Officially, the amount of money taken is listed in the charge as between $10,000 and $100,000.

The alleged victim, Lora Dover of Carrollton, said she became alarmed after being told by Medicaid that she was not eligible for her latest disability check because of unreported income from 2012. Turns out, she had not worked at the McDonald’s in 2012.

For more:  http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/local/article_8692a192-43e5-11e2-b4f6-001a4bcf6878.html

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by | October 1, 2012 · 6:43 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Wyoming Motel Fire Causes $14 Million In Damage; Man Indicted For Role In Starting Fire

“…The fire at the historic motel, located at 1700 W. Lincolnway, destroyed guest rooms, a restaurant, the lobby and the bar. It caused about $14 million in property damage. Lodging buildings didn’t burn. It was determined that the fire was set intentionally…”

A New Mexico man has been indicted for his alleged involvement with the Sept. 15, 2010, fire at the Hitching Post Inn here. Robert Rodriguez, 44, was indicted by a Wyoming federal grand jury Friday, according to a release from the Wyoming district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The two-count indictment says Rodriguez maliciously damaged and destroyed the Hitching Post by means of  fire. It also says he used fire to aid and abet mail and wire fraud. It is  unclear from the release whether charges have been filed. Rodriguez is being  detained without bail.

The investigation into the fire is ongoing, the release says. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading
the investigation with help from the Cheyenne Police Department and Cheyenne Fire and Rescue.

City officials closed the motel in September 2009, citing safety concerns and code violations.

CJM Hospitality bought the property from New Jersey-based Matiff Cheyenne Hospitality in the wake of Matiff filing for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection.

The 10.82-acre property was appraised for more than $6 million. At the time of the fire, CJM was putting in $500,000
worth of renovations. Representatives said they planned to reopen the west side of the structure and two unattached buildings.

For more: http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/09/29/news/01top_09-29-12.txt

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by | September 26, 2012 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: "Strong Smell" Leads Police To Meth Lab In Florida Motel Room

“…It’s  a huge public safety issue. The chemicals involved are volatile, can be volatile especially when mixed together. People that don’t know what they’re doing, even people who are experienced at cooking, still cause fires, explosions…”

Two men are accused of setting up a meth lab in a Tallahassee motel. It happened at the Super 8 motel on North Monroe Street.  Deputies say a tip led them to room 229 and the strong smell led them to a meth lab inside.

Jack Peppers and Kevin Smith – both of Thomasville – are accused of trafficking in meth, manufacturing meth and having the ingredients to make more. Deputies say one batch of the meth was ready and divided up for use.  Another batch, they say, was being chemically cooked upstairs.

“The dry product, we had about 16 grams which is worth about $1600 on the street which is pretty significant for what they consider a small lab,” said SGT Ed Cook with LCSO’s Vice and Narcotics Unit. “They also had another 500 grams of product that was still cooking.”

Deputies had to ventilate the room for hours before going inside to clean it up.  They say all of the adjoining rooms were vacant so they did not have to evacuate any other motel guests.

For more:  http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Meth-Bust-at-Tallahassee-Motel-171177501.html

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by | September 9, 2012 · 7:47 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: California Hotels Victimized By Armed Robbery Suspects Who Would "Climb Over Front Counter And Steal Cash Drawer"

“…Surveillance video caught a recent hotel robbery…a suspect, with a handgun, climbs over the counter and steals the cash drawer.  In other cases, the crime turns violent…one hotel worker was punched in the face…”

Five suspects are in custody inNorthern California for crimes that may be tied to a string of robberies in theCentral Valley.  Two suspects are adults, three are juveniles.  Jamaul and Justina Baker, one 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds were arrested Wednesday night after allegedly robbing a hotel and convenience store inPlacerCounty.

Most of the victims up and down the state had similar stories.  A trio of masked robbers march into hotels and demand money.  Sometimes they become violent.  Eight hotels in the Central Valley and over a dozen in the state were hit.  Now the crime spree appears to be over.

In less than a week, robbers hit eight hotels and motels in the Central Valley:  Two in Fresno off the 99, then down the freeway to Selma and Kingsburg.  Over to the I-5, places in Coalinga, Firebaugh, Santa Nella and Patterson are robbed.

For more:  http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Hotel-robbery-suspects-caught/ATAsl2HFE0O57_ClJj62Ag.cspx

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by | September 3, 2012 · 6:18 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Wisconsin Restaurant Employee Arrested For "Cashing Two Unauthorized Businsess Checks" In His Name

“…the owner of Espana Restaurant and Bar discovered Johnson had cashed two unauthorized checks from the business in his name for $160 and $350…the checks were kept in a locked desk drawer in the basement of the business and were pre-signed to pay vendors…”

A 37-year-old Wauwatosa man is facing charges after he allegedly stole two checks from his employer and then cashed them in his name. Dana James Johnson was charged Thursday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one count of theft. If convicted, he faces up to nine months in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Officers then went to Community Financial, 4525 W. North Ave., where they found security video footage of Johnson coming into the bank and cashing the checks.

For more:  http://wauwatosa.patch.com/articles/tosa-man-charged-with-stealing-checks-from-a-milwaukee-restaurant

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