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An employee of Darien Wine Port alerted the police department of someone attempting to make what was believed to be a fraudulent transaction over the phone using multiple credit cards with different names on Thursday, June 25.
During the initial phone call, the buyer provided the name “Eric,” though police noted that the employee at the wine store believed that the same caller had made similar calls in the past.
According to police, in an attempt to lure the suspect to the store, the employee said the bill would be $479.56, and he could pick it up the order at Darien Wine Port. At the same time, detectives and officers in plain clothes set up shop inside the store, waiting for the caller.
Police said that shortly thereafter, the employee was able to identify the suspect - Brooklyn resident Jaekwon Faison - to officers as he pulled into the parking lot, and he and a second suspect, Brooklyn resident Kadeem Cornwall, who arrived with Faison at the liquor store, were taken into custody without incident.
Following his arrest, officers located a New York ID on Faison with the first name Eric and multiple credit cards with different names on them. Cornwall was also found to be in possession of 37 grams of marijuana, a scale, numerous baggies, and several credit cards.
Officers would later determine that the card used for the attempted transaction belonged to an account holder in Texas. Contact was made with the account holder who confirmed he saw the attempted charge in Darien and declined the transaction.
Both Faison, 18, and Cornwall, 26 were arrested and charged with illegal use of a credit card, conspiracy to commit larceny, and identity theft. Cornwall was also charged with possession of a controlled substance and sale of a controlled substance.
Faison and Cornwall were initially held on a $5,000 bond, though they were later released. They are scheduled to appear in Stamford Court on Friday, July 17 to respond to the charges.
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