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The group used counterfeit bills and phony checks to purchase expensive breed dogs in Lancaster County and resold them for a massive profit, said state Attorney General Josh Shapiro in a statement on Friday, Oct. 21.
The alleged conspirators would seek listings for in-demand puppies like French bulldogs and Yorkshire terriers, authorities said, and resell them for as much as $20,000 each, authorities said.
Investigators said they uncovered more than 30 separate instances of fraud, costing Lancaster dog breeders at least $430,000.
Tynise Rivers, Sierra Thompson, Amara Dukuly, Tatiyana Cooper-Laylor, and Darnell Lloyd were in police custody Friday.
This was theft, pure and simple,” the Attorney General said.
“These individuals exploited the demand for these dogs by not simply being the middle men, but stealing puppies directly from the dog breeders and inserting themselves into a normally joyful process, in order to line their own pockets."
All five suspects have preliminary hearings scheduled in coming weeks, authorities added.
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