Two Michigan men are facing felony theft charges after Murfreesboro Police say they used a gift card scam to steal nearly $5,000 from multiple gas stations.
Eric Smith, 28, and Jerrell Clement, 43, both of Mount Morris, Michigan, are accused of targeting several 7-Eleven and Speedway stores on Aug. 16 and 17. Investigators say the pair convinced cashiers to load $490 onto Propel gift cards while paying only $1 in cash, leaving the remaining balance unpaid.
Police estimate the scheme resulted in nearly $5,000 in losses. Both men have been charged with theft of property valued between $2,500 and $10,000.
Investigators linked the cases using surveillance video, which showed the same two suspects visiting multiple stores in a dark blue Chrysler Pacifica.
Murfreesboro’s Real Time Crime Center used License Plate Reader (LPR) technology to identify the vehicle’s Michigan license plate, which was registered to a rental car company. The vehicle was later located in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Perrysburg police spotted the suspects leaving a Waffle House and conducted a traffic stop. Smith and Clement were detained and identified as the suspects in the Murfreesboro investigation.
Both men remain in custody in Ohio while awaiting extradition to Rutherford County.
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