Two arrested at Costco after alleged fraudulent credit card shopping spree

Two people were arrested at a Costco in South Windsor, Connecticut, on Sunday afternoon after police say they tried to pay for stolen merchandise with fraudulent credit cards at the store's self-checkout.

The South Windsor Police Department said officers were called to the Costco at 1220 Tamarack Avenue around 3 p.m. for reports of two people actively stealing from the store and attempting to use counterfeit cards. Store employees had reportedly been alerted that the same pair had allegedly pulled a similar scheme at a Costco in Enfield, about 30 minutes to the north.

Police identified the suspects as Brittany A. Howard, 35, of the Bronx, and Kasheem M. Williams, 34, of Brooklyn. The department described both as suspected serial shoplifters at Costco locations.

When officers searched the suspects' vehicle, they said they found 28 stolen financial documents, each under a different name, along with merchandise believed to have been taken from the Enfield store.

Both Howard and Williams were also found to have active out-of-state warrants. Williams faces an extraditable warrant out of Suffolk County, New York, on charges including burglary, strangulation and assault. Howard has an extraditable warrant out of Hudson County, New Jersey, on credit card theft charges.

In addition to those existing warrants, the two now face charges in Connecticut including 28 counts of payment card theft, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy. Both were held on $250,000 surety bonds and were scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Monday.