NORTHAMPTON — Police have obtained warrants for the arrests of two people from Flint, Michigan, accused of stealing more than $1,800 worth of gift cards and merchandise from the Northampton Walmart using a fake debit card, part of an alleged conspiracy that targeted four Walmart locations on the same day.

Dayvion Williams, 19, Trinity Franklin, 18, and a minor were arrested on the night of Nov. 27 after leaving Walmart in the Worcester County town of Oxford. Williams and Franklin appeared in Dudley District Court on larceny and conspiracy charges, according to Oxford police, and the minor is charged with conspiracy.

Northampton Police determined they were the same people suspected of running a so-called “cash/cash” scam in the city hours earlier, according to court records. A “cash/cash” scam involves tricking the cashier into believing that payment was made and, in some cases, allows the suspect to receive cash from the register as though it were cashback from a debit card.

Williams and Franklin are charged in Northampton District Court with larceny over $1,200 by a single scheme and arrest warrants were approved last week.

Both suspects face five years in state prison or two years in jail and a $25,000 fine if convicted of the Northampton charges. Oxford police reports say they were suspected of fraudulent activity at Walmart stores in Sturbridge and Chicopee, as well.

Suspects ‘confuse’ cashier

Northampton police allege in court documents that Williams, Franklin, the minor and a fourth unidentified suspect made eight transactions for merchandise and gift cards at Walmart in a 10-minute period and deliberately tricked the cashier, who was a minor, into pressing the “cash” payment button when no money had changed hands.

“It is believed they used a tactic with a fake debit card that was repeatedly declined to confuse the cashier,” a Northampton police report reads, “and manipulated the cashier into inputting specific commands into the register. Ultimately, the register would complete the transaction as if the suspects paid with cash, but the cashier believed the transaction was paid by the debit card.”

Oxford police said they used the same scam to steal 21 prepaid gift cards from the Walmart store in that town with a value of $4,104.94, but further investigation revealed the cards were not successfully activated. Williams and Franklin were charged with stealing the plastic cards, but not the money.

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