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Patrick Brown, 48, of Newark, was indicted by a grand jury on 52 counts, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced in a news release on Wednesday, Apr. 24. He was charged with 13 counts each of third-degree credit card fraud, third-degree false uttering, third-degree theft, and fourth-degree credit card theft.
Freehold Township police said the thefts at the Wawa on Route 9 North happened "during a limited amount of time" in August 2023. Brown would take a credit or debit card from a customer, and quickly swipe it through a device attached to his personal cellphone before using the cards for legitimate gas purchases.
Investigators said the thefts followed a similar pattern and put hundreds of dollars into Brown's bank account.
"Brown was criminally charged the same week as the report of the initial theft, then charged with more offenses as additional victims became known," Santiago said in the news release.
Brown's next court appearance was scheduled for Monday, May 6.
Anyone with information about Brown or who believes they may be a victim of fraud should call the Freehold Township Police Department at 732-252-1950.
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