Hockey Coach Accused Of Stealing Credit Cards In Locker Room
A youth hockey coach from Bethesda was charged in March with stealing credit cards at the Kettler Capitals Ice Plex in Arlington, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
The Department released information about the arrest last week. It is seeking other potential victims of the suspect, 34-year-old Barry Fig, who Arlington Police say stole credit cards from the equipment bags of recreational hockey players who left their bags in a locker room before heading to the rink.
Fig was charged with five counts of felony credit card theft on March 27 in Montgomery County.
Arlington Police said Fig entered unattended and unlocked locker rooms and stole items from equipment bags. He then used the credit cards at retail stores. Police said they found several credit cards on Fig that belonged to hockey players at Kettler when they arrested him. They said they also found credit cards that belonged to players at other area ice rinks.
“Information revealed in the investigation indicates that there are potentially other victims or persons with information regarding this subject,” Arlington Police said in the release.
The Washington Post named Fig the High School Hockey Coach of the Year in 2008. He coached at St. John’s in D.C. Court records and a social media account indicate he lives in Bethesda.
Fig has a trial date set for Tuesday morning in Rockville, according to the Maryland Courts database. He has also been charged with similar crimes in Fairfax County, according to Arlington County.
Photo via Arlington County Police Department
Police Looking For Chevy Chase Purse-Snatcher
A woman told police on Monday that a man on his bicycle snatched and rode away with her purse as she was walking near the Jane E. Lawton Community Center in the Town of Chevy Chase.
The woman told Montgomery County Police that the man, a black male in his 30s with a purple t-shirt, black jeans and a hat, was on a red bike when he ripped the purse from her and went in an unknown direction of travel around 2 p.m. Monday. She reported the purse contained credit cards and an iPad mini.
Montgomery County Police have not responded to a request for more information on the incident.
Town of Chevy Chase manager Todd Hoffman, who works out of the Town’s offices connected to the recreation center (4301 Willow Lane), said an officer did arrive on Monday to investigate the theft case.
Photo via Google Maps
UPDATED: Police Apprehend Theft Suspect
UPDATE 3:05 p.m. Police have apprehended the theft suspect and are processing him. More details won’t be known until the call is closed out, according to a police spokesman.
ORIGINAL Montgomery County Police this morning are searching the neighborhood near Cheltenham Drive and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School for a theft suspect. A spokesman confirmed the theft occurred, but did not have information on the search.
The theft happened at about 10:28 a.m. the Midas auto care location at 4725 Cheltenham Dr. just east of Wisconsin Avenue.
According to scanner information, the suspect, a black male in a blue jacket, khaki pants and with a blue backpack, attempted to use stolen credit cards at the Midas.
A Midas employees called it in and the suspect fled. Police called in a K-9 unit to help search backyards of homes on Harling Lane and police remain on the scene on Pearl Street and Sleaford Road.
An employee at Midas declined to speak with a reporter about the incident and didn’t confirm information on the scanner that said the suspect’s car remained at the shop.
Police Looking For Jimmy Choo Bandits
Montgomery County Police released surveillance images of three suspects they say made off with $10,000 worth of handbags on Wednesday at the Jimmy Choo store in Friendship Heights.
Police were called to the store (5481 Wisconsin Ave.) around noon on Wednesday after store employees said three black male suspects entered and quickly stole the handbags. Police said the suspects spent only 10 to 15 seconds in the store before leaving in a red, four-day sedan waiting outside on Wisconsin Avenue that was being driven by a fourth black male.
Police tonight released stills from surveillance video at a nearby department store they said shows three of the suspects before they snagged the bags at Jimmy Choo.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact detectives from the 2nd District at 301-657-0112 or the MCPD’s non-emergency line at 301-279-8000.
Crime Solvers recently upped its cash reward to $10,000 for tips that lead to an arrest or an indictment for a felony crime.
Photos via MCPD
Morning Notes
Police Chase Carjacking Suspect After Crash At Chevy Chase Circle — Montgomery County and D.C. Police closed off streets around Chevy Chase Circle early Sunday morning to search for a carjacking suspect. It’s not known if the police apprehended the suspect. [NBC4]
Police Warn of Mail Thefts — Montgomery County Police are warning residents of a series of thefts from mailboxes since November. Police say somebody is stealing outgoing mail, mainly checks to pay bills, from mailboxes with flags up. [Montgomery County Police]
Town of Chevy Chase Coat Drive — The Town of Chevy Chase is sponsoring a January coat drive. Bring lightly used coats, gloves, mittens and scarves to the Town office (4301 Willow Lane) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. [The Gazette]
Flickr photo by g_hanten
Weekly Crime Report: Dec. 17 to Dec. 26
Crime summaries from the most recent Montgomery County Police Department report follow.
Two incidents of theft from vehicles occurred this week; both involved unsecured vehicles. On Monday 12/17 at approximately 3:30 p.m. a vehicle in the 5900 block of Tudor Lane was targeted, and sometime between 12/17 and 12/18, a vehicle parked in the 5900 block of Tudor Lane in Bethesda was entered; a GPS was taken.
A vehicle theft occurred in the 10400 block of Grosvenor Lane in Bethesda. Sometime between Tuesday 12/18 and Wednesday 12/19.
An incident of graffiti occurred in the 4400 block of S. Park Avenue in Bethesda overnight from Tuesday 12/18 to Wednesday 12/19
A residential garage burglary occurred in the 11000 block of Marcliff Road in North Bethesda overnight from Tuesday 12/18 to Wednesday 12/19. No forced entry; property was taken from inside an unlocked vehicle.
Four thefts from vehicles occurred this week in this Bethesda beat; two occurred between 9:00 a.m. and noon on Tuesday 12/18 in a church parking lot at 10010 Fernwood Road. Forced entry on both. A third incident occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in a library parking lot at 6400 Democracy Boulevard; the vehicle was found with forced entry as well. The fourth incident occurred overnight from Wednesday 12/19 to Thursday 12/20 in the 11700 block of Magruder Lane.
A residential burglary occurred in the 9200 block of Bardon Road in Bethesda on Thursday, 12/20 between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. No forced entry; property taken.
Three thefts from vehicles occurred this week in this Bethesda beat, two overnight from Thursday 12/20 to Friday 12/21 involved no signed of forced entry. The third occurred on Sunday 12/23 between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and entry was forced. Vehicles were searched and loose items were taken. Incidents occurred on Cheltenham Dr., Woodmont Ave. and Bethesda Ave.
Former NIH Employee Sentenced to Six Months In Prison
A former NIH employee who pled guilty to using government-issued credit cards to buy iPads, perfume a mattress and other products was sentenced to six months in prison followed by six months of home detention on Friday.
Tamia M. McCoy, 33, of Germantown pled guilty to theft of government property and money for using two credit cards to purchase more than $100,000 worth of goods from May 2011 to December 2011, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland.
McCoy was a purchasing agent and procurement analyst for NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases since 2007. Her purchases included about 119 iPads and other electronics, designer perfume, clutch bag and a queen-size mattress set. She kept some of the items for her personal use and resold others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
McCoy disputed some of the charges with the credit card company and falsified documents to get away with the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As part of her sentence, McCoy must also repay the $106,096.09 she took from the government, according to her plea deal, and serve three years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service.
Crime Report: Oct. 15 to Oct. 23
Police made two arrests related to thefts from vehicles in a popular county parking garage:
Multiple thefts from vehicles were reported in the parking garage at 4935 St. Elmo Avenue, Bethesda on Sunday, 10/21 at 1:30 a.m.
Arrested: Male, 23, from Washington, DC; Male, 22, from Kensington.
But an unspecified number of unsolved thefts from vehicles were reported in Chevy Chase Village, which like the rest of the Bethesda District has been hit hard by thefts this year.
Multiple thefts from vehicles occurred this week from vehicles along several streets in the Chevy Chase Village area, all but one occurring between Tuesday, 10/16 and Wednesday, 10/17. Affected streets included: the 3900 and 4000 blocks of Oliver Street, 5500 block of Grove Street, 5400 block of Center Street and the unit block of Kirke Street.
The rest of the most recently available Bethesda area crime summary after the jump.
Crime Report: Oct. 1 to Oct. 9
Residents reported another batch of thefts from vehicles in the most recent MCPD crime summary, released today.
The thefts occurred mostly to unlocked cars throughout residential neighborhoods in Bethesda and Chevy Chase:
Several thefts from vehicles were discovered on Lone Oak Drive in Bethesda on Tuesday, 10/2.
Arrested: Male, age 18, unknown address.
Arrested: Male, age 19, from Takoma Park.
Multiple thefts from vehicles occurred in this beat, all occurring during the overnight hours, primarily from Tuesday, 10/2 to Wednesday, 10/3. All but one event involved entry without any signs of force. Vehicles were searched and cash, clothing, and assorted loose items left inside were taken; although multiple victims reported that nothing was taken. Affected streets included: the 4100 block of Leland Street, 7700 and 7800 blocks of Rocton Avenue, 8400 block of Donneybrook Drive, 3400 block of Woolsey Drive, 3300 block of Shirley Lane, 2600 block of East-West Highway and the 6900 block of Woodside Place.
Two thefts from vehicles occurred in the 4300 block of Lynbrook Drive, Bethesda. One event occurred overnight from Wednesday, 10/3 to Thursday, 10/4; the other in the early morning hours of Friday, 10/5. Neither event involved forced entry. GPS units, cash, and other loose items were taken from glove boxes and trunks.
The rest of the crime summary after the jump.
Bethesda Police Commander Provides Crime Update
Montgomery County Police 2nd District commander Capt. Dave Falcinelli believes all those responsible for the Capital Crescent Tunnel muggings have been charged, but he’s also set up an “aggressive” night patrol of the area.
Falcinelli made the statements Thursday in a crime update included in a regular Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center news email:
As you have seen in the news and heard on the list serves, there have been a few assaults/robberies in the tunnel of the Capital Crescent Trail in the last several months. My detectives have been working long hours on these cases and have arrested several juvenile male suspects. At this time, I believe that those responsible for all the events in the tunnel have been charged. Despite the arrests, the 2nd District has partnered with the part-time officers working in the Town of Chevy Chase and the Bethesda Urban Partnership to provide an aggressive evening patrol of the tunnel and the trail, and you have probably already seen them if you have been on the trail at night recently.
Falcinelli also explained SWAT activity on Wednesday morning near Sangamore Road as a cautious move to check a residence of a suspect in a Prince George’s County child abduction. The suspect was not at the residence and was arrested later Wednesday in P.G. County, Falcinelli said.
With thefts from cars still prevalent in the 2nd District, Falcinelli praised two residents who on two separate nights reported suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. Both calls led to the arrests of suspects stealing from cars, Falcinelli said.
Falcinelli also reported that residential burglaries are down 40 percent from the same time last year, commercial burglaries are down 32 percent, thefts from cars are down nine percent and stolen cars are down 41 percent. Robberies are up nine percent.
UPDATED: Police On Lookout For Bank Theft Suspect
UPDATE (4:55 p.m.): Officer Britta Thomas, Montgomery County Police spokeswoman, said the K-9 unit attempted to track the suspect but lost the track this morning.
It is not yet known by the Department’s Public Information Office if the suspect has been apprehended.
A Prince George’s County man who allegedly grabbed cash from a customer at a Bethesda Bank of America branch before fleeing is still on the run, according to Montgomery County Police.
Police received a call at 9:07 a.m. for a theft at the Bank of America at 5135 River Rd., according to police spokeswoman Rebecca Innocenti.
Police have identified the man as 38-year-old Nyasani Norman Oates of Suitland. According to scanner traffic, he was seen running into the back alley of the nearby Macedonia Presbyterian Church and was wearing a black shirt, dark jacket and jeans.
Police called for a K-9 unit to aid in the search, which included the Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park Area just south of the bank. Initial reports indicated the suspect’s sister was still at the bank after the alleged crime occurred.
