SHARON HILL, PA — A suspected fraud involving Pennsylvania Skills Machine vouchers at a neighborhood convenience store led to an arrest after the alleged suspect returned to the same business where the scheme was uncovered, according to the Sharon Hill Police Department.
Police said officers were dispatched at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, to the Speed Star convenience store in the 1400 block of Chester Pike for a reported theft. Investigators determined that an unknown individual had allegedly fraudulently obtained and redeemed two separate “winning tickets” or vouchers connected to a Pennsylvania Skills Machine, resulting in a loss totaling more than $2,600.
Through further investigation, police identified 33-year-old Marcellus Johnson-Garfield as the individual who allegedly redeemed the fraudulently obtained vouchers. Authorities said Johnson-Garfield returned to the same business on the evening of January 14, 2026, at which point officers took him into custody without incident.
The incident occurred at Speed Star, located at 1401 Chester Pike in Sharon Hill Borough. Johnson-Garfield was arrested on January 14 and charged with prohibited acts, possessing an instrument of crime, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property.
Police emphasized that the investigation remains subject to the judicial process. All charges are allegations, and Johnson-Garfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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