Montgomery County police have charged a man with stealing credit cards from six people in Wheaton and using them to make $9,800 in purchases.
Amir Holmes, 52, of Washington, D.C., was charged with multiple counts of theft and credit card fraud-related offenses following his arrest on Aug. 14.
Holmes, also known as Amir Hunter, allegedly stole credit cards and wallets from six people inside the Costco Wholesale at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, police said.
Holmes then used the stolen credit cards to purchase $9,800 worth of merchandise at various stores in Wheaton, police said. Detectives believe the purchases spanned from early May through July.
Attorney and court scheduling information for Holmes was not available in online records as of Monday afternoon.On the strength of a Montgomery County warrant, Holmes was arrested in Washington, D.C. He was being held in a detention center in the District pending extradition to Montgomery County.
Holmes can waive extradition or oppose it, the latter of which would require a hearing and delay his arrival to the county, a county police spokesman said.
County police have reported multiple significant credit card thefts and subsequent purchases in 2019, beginning with a man who used a dog door to enter a Gaithersburg residence in January and steal credit cards. The man spent more than $6,000 at several gas stations and stores across the state, police said.
A woman stole four credit cards in February and March from parked cars in Derwood and Darnestown, using them to rack up more than $10,000 in charges at stores in Rockville and Germantown, police said.
County police did not have updates on those cases as far as arrests or charges as of Monday afternoon.
County police routinely remind residents to lock their vehicles and remove keys and valuables, with weekly suggestions in each online crime report.
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@moco360.media
