Two Arrested in Merchandise Return Scheme Defrauding Utah Stores of Over $50K

SALT LAKE CITY — According to court papers, two people were arrested for allegedly taking part in a scheme to return goods that cheated Utah stores out of more than $50,000.

Darnell Hadden Parks, 30, and Aja Lenae Maliki Garcia, 37, were both booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. Each of them faces one count of second-degree felony pattern of unlawful behavior.

Garcia is also charged with 18 counts of stolen ID and petty retail theft, both of which are third-degree felonies. There are also misdemeanor charges against Parks for giving false information and having a controlled substance. He is charged with 22 counts of third-degree felony unlawful possession of another person’s ID, one count of third-degree felony retail theft, and two counts of third-degree felony possession of a financial card.

According to the charges, Garcia and Parks are accused of picking up items from shelves in several shops across Salt Lake County and then trying to “return” them to get their money back.

Police say the two were able to return $804.19 worth of goods to a store in Taylorsville, but they were not able to make a second return. After taking the things without paying for them, Parks and Garcia are said to have left the store and returned them somewhere else, getting a total refund of $924.23.

Security footage allegedly caught these two incidents, which helped police find the suspects and start a traffic stop.

According to the police, they found many driver’s licenses, ID cards, social security cards, and IDs from other people in the car. Names like “Micah,” “Carey,” and “Christian” were on some of the cards that were said to have been given to stores to finish the refunds.

Loss prevention for one store chain told police that refunds worth more than $52,306 had been made under the name “Micah.”

Parks is said to have told police that he went to the stores and returned items, calling it “a stupid thing to do.” But Parks said he had nothing to do with the stolen IDs that were found in the car. Garcia reportedly said she went to the stores but didn’t buy anything. She also said she didn’t try to return or steal anything.

Police say that both suspects have a “very extensive” criminal past. They have been arrested in more than one state on charges such as burglary, robbery, giving false information, and stealing property.

Source: Two Arrested in Merchandise Return Scheme Defrauding Utah Stores of Over $50K