Couple charged with fraud, theft in cell phone purchase scheme

A woman and man were charged Tuesday with theft and fraud after the woman conspired with the man to buy thousands of dollars worth of cell phones through her employer.

Ahmad Jarabah, 18, Kenosha, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with one count of theft-false representation and fraudulent writings. If convicted of both charges, he faces up to 16 years in prison and/or fines up to $35,000.

Vicenta Shreve, 23, Racine, was charged with two counts of theft-false representation and fraudulent writings. If convicted of all charges, she faces up to 26 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

According to the criminal complaint, officers with the Racine Police Department responded to a report of fraud at Boost Mobile on March 9 by Shreve, an employee, and Jarabah. During the investigation, police learned that Jarabah bought 30 Apple iPhone 6s at a reduced price. A manager at the store, however, stopped the scheme when Boost Mobile’s fraud department noticed the phones were opened with fake accounts.

Boost Mobile,  2022 Lathrop Avenue, was charged $425 a piece for the phones.

Jarabah bought the phones at $25 a piece under the condition that a phone number was transferred from another cell phone company over to Boost Mobile. When that did not happen with the 30 phones Jarabah bought, the company was charged $12,750. He also tried to buy eight other phones, but the manager was able to keep Jarabah’s $785.

Investigators learned that Jarabah and Shreve had discussed the purchases. She also pre-activated several phones for him, according to the criminal complaint.

When investigators interviewed Shreve, she told them that Jarabah had called her asking about the promotion and came into the store to buy the phones. He then asked her for her phone number. The two talked about Jarabah getting more phones. When he came into the store the second time, Shreve’s boss stepped in and stopped the transaction and called the police.

Shreve admitted to police that she pre-activated the phones before Jarabah came into the store to pay for them.

“She believed this was the only bad thing she did,” the complaint reads.

The owner of the store told police that Shreve also received a commission for the phones she sold. Police also noted that Shreve texted Jarabah that he shouldn’t mention her name because she couldn’t “lose her job because she’s pregnant.”

When police told Shreve that she was going to jail, she asked if it was because she entered the accounts into the system.

Shreve and Jarabah were released from custody on a $5,000 signature bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. April 4 in front of Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch.