Pair jailed on felony charges in vehicle burglary, used stolen credit cards to shop, eat pizza

Two were arrested and face multiple felony charges related to a vehicle burglary that happened Friday where stolen credit cards were used at a casino and to purchase around $900 worth merchandise, clothing and pizza, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Arrested were Joshua Allen, 34, of Richmond, Calif., and April Grover, 29, of Bay Point, Calif. Each face felony charges of auto burglary, commercial burglary, credit card fraud, prescription drug and controlled substance possession and a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. The two were already in jail facing other charges.
Bail for Grover has been set at $73,118. Allen is being held without bail based on a fugitive from justice warrant out of Contra Costa County. Local bail charges related to the vehicle burglary and credit card fraud: $72,274.

According to the arrest report, Carson City Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a fitness center in the 3200 block of Research Way on Friday, 8:48 p.m. and met with the victim of the vehicle burglary in which the rear driver’s side window was smashed in and contents of her vehicle rummaged through. The victim discovered her wallet containing her driver’s license and several credit cards were missing.

She logged onto her cell phone and accessed her bank account and noticed several transitions at Walmart, a pizza restaurant, a convenience store and a casino. The victim canceled all cards. She estimated $900 was charged on her cards, the arrest report states.

Officers responded to the pizza restaurant and spoke with the manager who gave copies of the receipts of the items used on the victim’s credit card.

The manager stated his employee told him that a male and female had come into the business and the female showed the victim’s ID that matched the victim’s name on the credit card. The male had then returned later and used the card to purchase a gift card from the restaurant, using the name “Josh” as the guest name.

As evidence was being compiled a deputy informed investigating officers that he had arrested Grover and Allen earlier on unrelated charges and that they were in jail. The deputy told officers the pair had had multiple credit cards in the vehicle as well as fresh pizza from a restaurant.

Officers went to the jail and interviewed Grover with audio and videotape. The woman was read her Miranda rights and she agreed to speak with officers. She stated she found the victim’s credit cards at Walmart. Officers asked the woman if they had paid for the pizza with credit cards. At first the woman said cash was used. She was asked if Allen used one of the stolen cards to pay for the pizza and Grover said he did. The woman was asked about items that she had purchased from Walmart and Grover admitted to purchasing several items with the victim’s credit card, the arrest report states.

Officers attempted to interview Joshua Allen in the detective’s interview area. He was read his Miranda rights and declined to speak. Officers were granted a search warrant by a Carson City judge to search the vehicle that was driven by the pair on Jan. 2, 2015.

Officers located several pieces of clothing and other times in Walmart bags that had tags still on them. In the rear passenger area, officers found a brown wallet that contained several credit cards belonging to the victim, as well as several Walmart receipts with items purchased with the victim’s credit card. Also found was a small white case with four pills, suspected to be Oxycodone, in the rear passenger area of the vehicle, and a baggie of marijuana on the passenger floorboard.

The pair were originally arrested Friday, 10:50 p.m. in the 3600 block of Goni Road after officers discovered the vehicle they were driving, a 1994 Toyota Camry, did not have correct license plates matching the description of the vehicle they were driving. Officers recovered drug paraphernalia and residue, along with a California license belonging to someone else and a wallet belonging to yet another person.

At jail, officers learned Allen, who gave officers the name of his brother, was a fugitive from justice being held on a “no bail” warrant for burglary issued out of Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Prior to the burglary charges, Allen was arrested on a felony fugitive from justice warrant, providing false identification to avoid prosecution and possession of drug paraphernalia. Grover was arrested on charges of harboring a fugitive, a felony, and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, fictitious registration and no proof of insurance.