Three Local Arrests in Multi-State Menards Swindle
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw police detectives recently completed an investigation conducted over several months involving a multi-state theft scheme, which counted among its victims the local Menards store and numerous other Menards in northern Indiana.
According to a Warsaw Police Department press release, three people recently have been arrested in conjunction with the fraudulent use of contractor accounts. Although the local store’s losses are reported to be more than $12,000, the total losses from several area stores total more than $100,000.
Brenda Gail Ladd, 50, Fort Wayne; Mateo G. Queme, 36, Fort Wayne; and Brittaney Nicole Smith, 20, Auburn, all have been booked into the Kosciusko County Jail within the past few weeks for felony fraud and theft charges involving the July scams purported at the Menards on Husky Trail of Warsaw.
The press release also states the Fort Wayne police detectives were provided information and have since concluded an investigation involving those related to the fraudulent scam, and have other potential suspects. Fort Wayne detectives have subsequently charged those involved there locally.
Ladd, Smith and Queme all are pending adjudication through Kosciusko County courts, and are expected to be charged in other jurisdictions as well, according to the press release.
