Man accused of stealing firefighters' credit cards from Brevard County fire station
Man accused of stealing firefighters' credit cards
A man is facing fraud and theft charges after deputies said he stole credit cards from two Brevard County firefighters while they were away from their station responding to emergency calls.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A man is facing fraud and theft charges after deputies said he stole credit cards from two Brevard County firefighters while they were away from their station responding to emergency calls.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said the thefts happened at Brevard County Fire Rescue Station 44 and resulted in more than $1,000 in unauthorized purchases.
Deputies arrested Wesley McCormick on Friday in connection with the thefts.
The backstory:
One firefighter reported two unauthorized transactions totaling more than $400 at a Publix. She initially believed she had been the victim of an online or card-skimming scam and canceled the cards before realizing they were missing from her belongings, according to investigators.
A second firefighter received an alert about a $206 charge on his American Express card after returning from an emergency call. Deputies said he checked a wallet he had left on a nightstand near his bed and discovered that his American Express and USAA bank cards were missing.
Investigators said more than $400 was also spent on scratch-off lottery tickets at a Sunoco gas station.
Surveillance video showed McCormick entering the Sunoco and Publix where transactions were made, according to deputies.
Investigators said McCormick admitted after being read his rights that he took two credit cards from inside Station 44. Deputies said he also identified himself when shown surveillance video from Publix.
What they're saying:
Marshall Jones, a retired first responder and Florida Tech professor, said firefighters often have to leave the station with little notice when an emergency call comes in.
"Firefighters, they go from having a meal, doing what they're doing, they have to run for an emergency call," Jones said.
Jones said first responders should not have to worry about their belongings while answering those calls.
"If you leave a valuable out, the last thing you want to do is worry about that," he said.
McCormick faces several fraud and theft charges.
What's next:
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said the case remains under investigation. Authorities have not said how McCormick allegedly gained access to the fire station or what connection, if any, he had to Brevard County Fire Rescue.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Marshall Jones, a retired first responder and Florida Tech professor.