Man Arrested In Alleged Stolen Package Scheme: Greenwich PD

GREENWICH, CT— Greenwich Police have arrested a New York City man for his role in an alleged stolen package scheme.

Josen Perez, 25, who lives in the Inwood section of Manhattan, was arrested on May 12 after he picked up a package that was dropped off at a residence in Old Greenwich that he did not reside at, police said. The residence was recently publicly listed for sale.

The package that Perez picked up contained a Samsung cell phone that was illegally purchased from Best Buy for $406 using a 60-year-old victim's stolen credit card information and identity.

Police also said that a factory sealed Iphone, valued at $1,199, was found in Perez's vehicle. He admitted that it was picked up earlier in the day at another residence, but did not disclose the location.

Perez said he was hired to pick up packages right after delivery and them over to another person in exchange for $100 per package. Perez would not say who the individual was.

Perez was charged with identity theft in the 2nd degree, receipt from an ill-used credit card, making less than $500 purchase on a revoked payment card, and larceny in the 6th degree. He was able to post his $1,000 bond.

"We're going to try and determine who he was working for. He chose not to tell us which is certainly his right not to," said Lt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department. "However, it's a typical kind of thing where there's a ringleader who will make all these fraudulent purchases and have them delivered to various addresses, and they will hire runners to go pick up the packages and then pay for each package that they come back with."

Slusarz said that it's not uncommon for these schemes to include houses that have been recently listed for rent.

"It's not unusual for the neighbors to see strange people walking up to the house because they're coming to look at it. That's part of the whole rousse," Slusarz added.

Slusarz urged residents to contact police if they receive packages with their name on it that weren't ordered.

"They should let us know because it may be part of this fraud and we want to protect them from any unauthorized purchases. Or if they're delivered a package to their address with someone else's name on it, but it's their address, contact us," he said.

During the the holidays and when the weather is nice, "Porch Pirates" as they're called, will cruise around neighborhoods looking for packages to take. Slusarz said that arrangements should be made to accept valuable deliveries quickly.