Another arrest in fraudulent credit card scheme at Deer Park Apple Store
A New York woman is the seventh person arrested on charges of trying to use fraudulent identification to purchase Apple products at the Deer Park Apple Store.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies arrested Simone L. Signorelli, 22, of Palisades, New York, and charged her with burglary, identity theft, possession of a counterfeit credit card, and unlawful use of a fraudulent ID to commit theft, authorities said. Signorelli was ordered held in Lake County jail on $250,000 bail. She is due back in court Aug. 2.
She was arrested July 27 after employees from the Apple Store in the 20000 block of North Rand Road contacted the sheriff's office claiming an individual was attempting to fraudulently purchase items using stolen credit cards.
Six other people from New York were arrested and charged last week while attempting to make fraudulent purchases at several Apple stores in the Chicago area, including the Deer Park store, authorities said.
According to a news release, Lake County sheriff's office obtained information about an organized criminal enterprise from New York that uses stolen identities and credit card numbers of victims throughout the U.S. to make fraudulent purchases.
Sheriff's detectives increased patrols and surveillance at the Deer Park store where the arrests were made, authorities said.
Nicole Cannon, 21, Gisselle Diaz, 41, Corbett Ortiz, 26, Quintin Ortiz, 18, Melinda Aquino, 21, and Frank Aulet, 20, all from New York, were arrested trying to make fraudulent purchases during one week, the release said. All six were charged with identity theft and other charges, including burglary, possession and use of a counterfeit credit card, forgery and unlawful use of a fraudulent ID to commit a theft. Detectives also recovered more than $10,000 worth of stolen Apple products during the investigation, reports said.
Corbett Ortiz and Quintin Ortiz are held with no bail. Bail was set at $75,000 for Diaz, $125,000 for Cannon, $150,000 for Aquino and $250,000 for Aulet.