Pair Investigated In Serial Thefts From Oakland County Lowe's Stores

PONTIAC (WWJ) - Police say a woman and man are in jail after stealing items from several home improvement stores in Oakland County, all to "feed their drug habit."

The 54-year-old woman and her 29-year-old male accomplice are charged with committing retail fraud at multiple Lowe's locations -- and their scheme was always the same.

"They would steal property from the stores, specifically in this situation Lowe's, and then take that stolen property to other Lowe's and return them for gift cards or credit at the store," Sheriff Mike Bouchard told WWJ's Jon Hewett. "And then they would sell those cards for cash to, in essence, feed their drug habit."

Bouchard said the pair is only charged in two incidents at this point, but more charges could be on the way.

"There have been a number of these kinds of frauds, Commerce Township, White Lake, we believe also other areas like Bloomfield Township and elsewhere, so where ever these stores are, they kind of fall prey to this," said Bouchard. "We think that this may put a crimp in some of that fortunately now that they were interrupted."

The suspects were arrested on Wednesday after getting into an argument at a home in the 100 block of Dwight Street in Pontiac, and the subsequent investigation led to unraveling of their plot. Police say deputies executed a search on one of their vehicles, during which stolen plumbing supplies were recovered.

An investigation is ongoing.