Court: Riverhead woman bought gift cards with stolen plastic

A Riverhead woman is facing multiple felony charges after using stolen credit and debit cards to buy more than $400 in gift cards from Target and Walgreens more than a month ago, according to police and court reports. 

Lauren Wallace, 41, was arrested Thursday following an investigation into a reported theft at Riverhead Auto Mall on March 31, according to police reports.

An employee had told police that someone took her wallet from her unlocked 1999 Chevy Malibu in the Eagle Auto Mall parking lot between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., the report states. The victim told police that four credit cards, $200 in cash, her drivers’ license, two “miniature police badges” and various other gift cards and insurance information was stolen, according to the report.

According to court filings, Ms. Wallace then used two of the stolen cards to make purchases at stores along Route 58. About seven hours after the wallet was stolen, Ms. Wallace used a debit card to but a prepaid Visa gift card, spending $129.95 at Walgreens, court papers show.

The next afternoon, Ms. Wallace went to Target and bought three $100 Target gift cards and “other items” worth a little over $32, according to the documents.

She was arrested about 10 a.m. Thursday and charged with two counts of felony possession of stolen property and two counts of misdemeanor identity theft.

Ms. Wallace was released without bail after her arraignment Wednesday morning, a court officer said.