CANTON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - Two woman in Canton Township were charged with multiple felonies after police say they snatched purses from unsuspecting shoppers at local grocery stores and used stolen credit cards.
Najayda Shaniece Poindexter, 26, of Westland and Monea Marie Matthews, also 26, of Detroit were charged in connection with the crimes that spanned over several months, Canton Township police said on Wednesday.
"The pair is being accused of taking purses from unattended shopping carts and then using the stolen credit and debit cards to make transactions at numerous locations," authorities said in a prepared statement.
The first incident occurred on July 14 before the pair allegedly struck again on Aug. 13. The last known incident was recorded on Sept. 5, authorities added.
The pair were arrigned last week on the following charges:
• Two counts of larceny over $1,000 but less than $20,000, a 5-year felony
• Three counts of stealing/retaining a financial transaction device, a 4-year felony
• Three counts of illegally selling/using a financial transaction device, a 4-year felony
• Three counts of larceny over $200 but less than $1,000, a misdemeanor.
The women entered a non-guilty plea and a judge set their bond at $10,000 with a GPS tether if they are released. The judge also ordered the pair to stay away from any retail store.
Both woman are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 23 with another hearing set for the following week.