Three men from Brooklyn are facing a mountain of felony charges after plainclothes officers in Greenwich spotted what they viewed as suspicious moves on Greenwich Avenue on March 3. A brief vehicle chase ended with a traffic stop, and police say a search of the car turned up several re-encoded credit cards and stacks of mail containing account statements tied to apparent identity theft. The trio now faces dozens of felony counts related to payment card theft, conspiracy and linked identity crimes, according to authorities.
How police say the arrest unfolded
Investigators say the case started when plainclothes officers recognized a man they knew from a prior theft investigation as he walked into a high-end retail shop on the Avenue. A short time later, two men allegedly returned to a waiting car where a third man sat behind the wheel. Police report that the driver then took officers on a brief pursuit before all three suspects were stopped and detained.
Once officers searched the vehicle, they say they found multiple re-encoded credit cards, additional stolen credit and debit cards and piles of mail containing account statements. One of the men was also reportedly carrying a counterfeit New Jersey driver’s license, as reported by Greenwich Free Press.
Retail theft pattern on Greenwich Avenue
Local police and prosecutors have been warning for some time about organized crews that turn stolen card data into quick cash. The playbook, they say, often involves converting compromised accounts into gift cards or high-end merchandise, then moving those goods across state lines to clean the proceeds.
Recent reporting in the Connecticut Post has outlined similar schemes in which suspects allegedly lean on digital wallets and re-encoded cards to turn stolen account information into something that can be easily resold. Law enforcement sources say these patterns frequently target busy retail strips like Greenwich Avenue and take advantage of interstate travel routes so crews can hit multiple jurisdictions in rapid succession.
Charges, bonds and upcoming court dates
Authorities charged 32-year-old Michael Moore and 33-year-old Eric Kendere Shuler with 27 counts of payment card theft and 27 counts of conspiracy to commit payment card theft. Police say 30-year-old Tevon Elijah Fleming faces those same counts, along with additional charges for allegedly engaging police in a pursuit and resisting.
According to Greenwich Free Press, Moore was unable to post a $50,000 bond and was held for arraignment, Shuler posted a $250,000 bond, and Fleming’s bond was set at $200,000. Court listings on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website show Moore and Fleming due back in Stamford Superior Court on April 27 and Shuler scheduled to return on April 29, with an additional April 1 date for Shuler on a separate set of charges.
Legal note
Payment card theft is defined under Conn. Gen. Stat. §53a-128c and covers taking, receiving or falsifying payment cards, including embossing, re-encoding or loading stolen card data into digital wallets, conduct that can carry felony penalties under state law. For the statutory language and details on covered conduct, see the Connecticut statute summary on Justia.
Officials say these arrests are the latest in a run of retail fraud crackdowns on Greenwich Avenue as officers continue undercover patrols and closely monitor suspicious transactions. Police say they will release charging updates as the cases move through Stamford Superior Court and are asking anyone with additional information to contact the Greenwich Police Department.
