News Releases

Suspect Charged with Multiple Counts of Theft and Credit Card Fraud

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 5, 2021

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department – 4th District Patrol Investigations Unit have charged Matthew John Bell, age 37, of the 18200 block of Littlebrooke Drive in Olney, with theft and credit card fraud offenses after a months-long investigation into Bell stealing credit cards from multiple victims in the Silver Spring, Colesville, Olney, and Kensington areas and then using those stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase merchandise at nearby stores. 

The following thefts/fraud were determined to have been committed by Bell:

·         * December 7, 2020 – The adult female victim was shopping at a grocery store located in the 100 block of University Boulevard West in the Silver Spring area when she had her wallet, which contained her credit cards, stolen from her purse.   The suspect then later used the victim’s stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase approximately $530 worth of merchandise from a retail store located in Washington, D.C.

·         * November 20, 2020, at approximately 8:00 p.m. – The adult female victim was shopping at a grocery store located in the 10500 block of Connecticut Avenue in Kensington when the male suspect stole her wallet from her purse.  The victim confronted the suspect and during the confrontation, the suspect dropped the victim’s wallet and fled from the store. 

·         * November 18, 2020, at approximately 2:00 p.m. – The adult female victim was shopping at a grocery store located in the 10500 block of Connecticut Avenue in Kensington when the suspect stole her wallet, which contained the victim’s credit cards, from her purse.  The suspect then attempted to fraudulently use the victim’s stolen credit cards at a nearby retail store.  The attempted fraudulent transactions were all declined.  

·         * August 22, 2020 – The adult female victim was shopping at a grocery store located in the 3300 block of Spartan Road in Olney when her wallet, which contained her credit cards, was stolen from her purse.  The suspect then later used the victim’s stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase approximately $900 worth of pre-paid Visa cards at a retail store in Gaithersburg. 

·         * July 30, 2020, at approximately 11:30 a.m. – The adult female victim reported that she was shopping at a grocery store located in the 18100 block of Village Center Drive in Olney when her wallet was stolen from her purse.  The suspect then later used this victim’s stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase approximately $1,300 worth of merchandise at a retail store in Gaithersburg.   Shortly after this theft occurred inside the grocery store, this same suspect exited the store and then stole the wallet out of an adult female’s purse as she was loading groceries into her vehicle.  After stealing this victim’s wallet, the suspect fled on foot and this victim chased after him.  As the victim chased after the suspect, he threw the victim’s wallet into a bush.  The victim recovered her wallet and all her credit cards.  

·         * April 23, 2020 – The adult female victim was shopping at a grocery store located in the 15400 block of New Hampshire Avenue in the Colesville area when her wallet, which contained her credit cards, was stolen from her purse. The suspect later used the victim’s stolen credit cards to fraudulently purchase approximately $800 worth of pre-paid Visa cards.

During the investigation, detectives identified Bell as the suspect who committed all these offenses. 

 

On January 27, 2021, investigators arrested Bell at his residence on the strength of a Montgomery County arrest warrant that charged Bell with multiple counts of theft and credit card fraud-related charges.  Bell was released after posting a $2,000 bond. 

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Release ID: 21-054
Media Contact: Officer Rick Goodale 
Categories: credit-credit-theft-andor-fraud