The arrest of a Silver Creek man in Alabama on credit card fraud charges has led authorities across state lines to bust up a possible fraud ring.

Carl Franklin Cantrell Jr., 48, of 162 Reeseburg Road, reportedly told police he was a pick-up man in an alleged fraud ring that led authorities to a stolen cash register tape at a LaFayette motel last week.

Cantrell was originally arrested on credit card fraud charges in Oxford, Ala., on Jan. 23 after he allegedly tried to pick up merchandise purchased from an area hardware store with stolen credit cards.

During questioning, Cantrell reportedly told police he was picking up an order for a David Dwayne Edwards, 39, of Summerville.

Edwards was later found at the LaFayette motel with the cash register tape, which reportedly contained allegedly stolen credit card information.

Authorities were first alerted to the group when credit card numbers from a large order placed at the hardware store by telephone were found to be stolPamela Denese Brown was arrested.

en. The day following that discovery a similar order was placed using the same method, but this time the store was ready.

“After they called back the second time, (the store) was suspicious, and they contacted us,” said Chip Owens, an investigator with the Oxford Police Department.

“They took a phone order from a guy named Carl Franklin Cantrell Jr. for miscellaneous appliances and building materials,” Owens said. That order totaled more than $9,000, he said.

After numbers from some of the cards used to place the order also came back stolen, police headed out to the store to wait.

Cantrell arrived at the store Jan. 23 in a U-Haul rented from a Shorter Avenue business. He came in, said he was there to pick up the order, and produced a Georgia driver’s license, Owens said.

The detective said once Cantrell signed for the order, Oxford police charged him with credit card fraud.

Pamela Denese Brown, 40, also of 162 Reeseburg Road, was with Cantrell at the time and was arrested on separate charges of possession of a controlled substance, Owens said.

Cantrell told police he was retrieving the merchandise for Edwards, 39, and pointed them to the LaFayette motel, Owens said.

According to LaFayette Police Department records:

Officers, acting on Owens’ information, went to the LaFayette motel Jan. 24,

There they found Edwards hiding under a bed in a room with Merlene Ring Justice, 40, of Summerville. Edwards initially told police his name was “Leslie” but admitted his real name after contrary evidence was presented.

While looking for Edwards’ identification, detectives found in his wallet two pieces of what appeared to be cash register tape containing credit card numbers. A list with an order matching the one Cantrell had tried to retrieve was also found, along with a paper bag containing “numerous” slips similar to those found in Edwards’ wallet and an organizer containing three pages of invoices from the Alabama store.

The other invoices apparently had been picked up by Justice, records stated but were in different names from any person arrested so far.

In the room detectives also found a box containing a miter saw consistent with purchases made at the Alabama store, along with suspected marijuana and methamphetamines and drug paraphernalia.

According to jail records, Cantrell and Brown were being held Wednesday in Calhoun County, Ala., Jail, where Cantrell was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, and Brown was charged with first-degree receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

Bond was set at $25,000 for Cantrell and at $12,500 for Brown.

Edwards and Justice were at Walker County Jail on Wednesday, according to jail records. Edwards was charged with possession of a controlled substance, conditional discharge for possession of a controlled substance, theft by receiving stolen property and giving false name or address to law enforcement, records show. Justice has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, conditional discharge for possession of a controlled substance and hindering apprehension or punishment of a criminal, according to records.

Bond for Justice was set at $10,743, while bond was not set on all charges for Edwards.

Records show some of the credit cards fraudulently used to purchase merchandise at the Alabama hardware store belong to Chattooga County residents. Police suspect other stores may also have been defrauded, reports said, and the investigation is ongoing.

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