Accused credit card thief pleads innocent

SALEM - Bail for a man accused of going on a shopping spree at Sears Department Store in Peabody with a stolen credit card remains at $5,000 cash, after pleading innocent.

John Faria, 35, of 8 Windsor Road, Billerica, appeared Monday in Salem Superior Court for his arraignment, answering innocent to uttering a forged instrument, forgery and larceny of property over $250.

As jointly recommended by the prosecutor and defense, Judge David A. Lowy allowed Faria to remain free on $5,000 cash bail pending the outcome of his case and continued the matter to Dec. 22 for a pretrial conference.

Assistant District Attorney Michael A. Patten said the charges concern an incident on March 13 when Faria allegedly used a stolen credit card to purchase a craftsman snow blower from Sears Department Store at the North Shore Mall in Peabody.

Investigators believe the credit card was stolen from a pocketbook in a gym parking lot in Lexington. The thief, believed to be Faria, smashed the window, grabbed the purse, then went with a female to the department store and purchased the snow blower.

Afterwards they apparently went to Lowell and exchanged the snow blower for five bags of heroin, police said.

July 2009

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