HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has announced criminal charges against two men accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from Lowe’s stores across eastern Pennsylvania through an alleged customer account takeover scheme.
Attorney General Dave Sunday said Jose Gomez and Ysaias Araujo have been charged with multiple felony offenses, including corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, and theft by unlawful taking. Gomez is currently in custody, while a warrant has been issued for Araujo’s arrest.
According to investigators, the pair allegedly carried out at least 56 thefts at 18 Lowe’s locations in Bucks, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Pike counties. Authorities said the men used self-checkout kiosks to make purchases by accessing stolen customer account information.
“These defendants orchestrated a sophisticated scheme that targeted unsuspecting customers as well as Lowe’s businesses across numerous counties,” Sunday said in a statement. “Organized retail theft impacts consumers who will be forced to pay higher prices for goods as businesses raise prices to recover losses. I applaud the dedicated efforts of our Organized Crime Section for ensuring this pair is brought to justice.”
The investigation revealed that Gomez and Araujo allegedly used their cell phones, linked to compromised Lowe’s customer accounts, to make fraudulent purchases. When legitimate customers later received bills for the unauthorized transactions, they disputed the charges with their banks. As a result, the issuing banks refused payment to Lowe’s, leaving the retailer to absorb the nearly $100,000 loss.
The Warrington Township Police Department assisted in the investigation, which is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Noelle Wilkinson of the Organized Retail Crime Unit.
Criminal charges and any discussion thereof are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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