A.P. Dillon

WARSAW — Last week, the Warsaw Police Department announced that three individuals have been identified as key suspects in a widespread retail fraud scheme in a multi-jurisdictional investigation conducted across multiple states.

Investigators report that the suspects, all from Flint, Michigan, targeted businesses throughout Eastern North Carolina and at least nine other states. They employed deceptive tactics involving invalid gift cards to fraudulently obtain prepaid Visa cards and lottery tickets from retail stores.

The primary suspect, Darious Delshawn Welch, 20, is currently in custody, facing a total of 31 charges. Welch was extradited to Duplin County on August 26 and is being held in the Duplin County Jail under a $180,000 secured bond. Another suspect, Jalen Jamal Coleman, 19, is in custody in Michigan, facing charges related to similar fraud schemes. The Warsaw Police Department has issued a warrant for his extradition to North Carolina. Coleman has previously been linked to fraud cases in Columbia, South Carolina.

Keaysha Warren, 22, has not yet been apprehended and was identified through forensic evidence, including the use of her EBT card at crime scenes. Arrest warrants and extradition requests have been issued, but her current whereabouts remain unknown and are under investigation.

On June 20 and 21, the group allegedly targeted multiple retailers during a two-day spree in Onslow and Duplin Counties, including Sheetz and Best Mart in Warsaw. The suspects reportedly deceived store clerks into activating high-value cards by presenting non-functioning Cash App or YouTube gift cards, then fled the premises with the merchandise without making payment. According to law enforcement, losses per incident often exceeded $5,000.

Law enforcement reported that surveillance footage and license plate reader data captured images of the suspects and the white Volkswagen Tiguan used in these crimes. The vehicle was registered to Avis Rental, and further investigation revealed connections to all three suspects.

Authorities believe this fraud ring had been operating for at least two years and may have targeted retailers across multiple states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Delaware, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Indiana.

The Warsaw Police Department noted that this case is part of an ongoing multi-jurisdictional effort involving agencies such as the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, and local police departments in various states.

Additional charges may arise as the investigation continues, and law enforcement is seeking public assistance in identifying any other individuals who may be involved.

MAGNOLIA — In a recent public statement, Magnolia Police Department Chief Jerry Wood addressed a negative comment made on social media regarding the town’s handling of stray dogs. The comment, shared by a third party on a repost of a department update about a recently found dog, claimed that the town “never does anything” about dogs running at large. To provide clarity and transparency about the town’s efforts, Wood decided to issue an official statement explaining the situation.

Wood highlighted that the Town of Magnolia, through coordination between the Police Department and Public Works, actively enforces laws concerning loose dogs.

This includes issuing warnings or fines to dog owners who fail to control their pets and setting humane traps on public land or with the permission of private property owners. He pointed out that the individual who made the complaint had previously been offered a trap but declined the offer, later expressing concerns that the trap might catch his own dog. Wood explained that all dogs, regardless of ownership, are subject to the same laws.

The chief acknowledged the difficulties associated with managing stray animals, particularly when they lack identification, and emphasized that capturing them can be challenging.

“A trap is the best hope of catching them, but it’s not a guarantee because larger dogs don’t like enclosures & they are pretty smart,” he explained.

He also emphasized that the problem is not unique to Magnolia. Discussions with neighboring towns and counties have revealed that many face similar challenges. In Duplin County, animal control units are prohibited from entering towns with their own ordinances, unless those towns agree to relinquish their laws — a move that would open the door to unrestricted animal farming and hoarding, which Magnolia aims to prevent.

“The town could create its own animal control unit. The cost of the required shelter would be around $3-$4 million, vehicles and upfit required by law would add another quarter million,” Wood explained while addressing the impracticality of creating a full-fledged municipal animal control department. He noted that such an endeavor would likely triple the town’s tax rate unless it is privately funded.

As a more realistic alternative, the town has allocated limited funds to hire a licensed trapper when situations escalate beyond what current town resources can manage.

“While there’s no magic fix, we feel that we’ve taken the most feasible actions allowed by law to curb the issue as much as possible,” he explained. “I invite anyone who has an issue the Police Department can help resolve to discuss it with me,” said Wood. “Your mayor and town manager are quite happy to help find resolutions to other town-related concerns as well.”