Two indicted for series of credit card thefts

A Cleveland man is in jail and a warrant has been issued for accomplices in the statewide credit card theft.

A Wood County grand jury on Wednesday indicted Larry Donald Cobb, 64, and Kerie Watson, 37, Mount Vernon, respectively, of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, first degree felony; robbery, second degree felony; money laundering, third degree crime; and two counts of burglary, both fifth-degree crimes.

Cobb was accused of entering many employee-only areas of businesses throughout Ohio and stealing wallets. Cobbs or Watson were later reported as using stolen credit cards to purchase merchandise.

The total amount of merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards exceeds $6,000. The activity was reported to have occurred from November 29, 2021 to September 27, 2022.

Fifteen incidents are described in the indictment. A woman named has not been charged.

On April 22, Cobb allegedly entered Kroger in Perrysburg and went into the employee-only area and took an employee’s wallet containing a credit card.

On the same day, Watson allegedly walked into Best Buy, Target, and DSW in the Netherlands with a Kroger employee credit card and purchased $2,059 worth of merchandise.

On August 18, Cobb allegedly entered University Hall on the Bowling Green State University campus and entered the employee-only area of ​​the building. He was accused of stealing two wallets containing credit cards. Later that day, he was accused of using stolen cards to purchase $1,010 worth of merchandise at a Walmart in Bowling Green.

On September 27, Cobb allegedly returned to University Hall and entered the employee-only area of ​​the building and stole a “gift package” containing currency and other items.

Cobb is also accused of stealing wallets from DWS in Toledo, CVS in Mayfield Heights, Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Meijer in Delaware and Toledo Hospital.

When he left the hospital, he was in a Nissan Rogue operated by Watson, according to the indictment.

He, Watson and the second woman were either separately or jointly charged with using stolen credit cards to purchase two computers at a Walmart in Mayfield Heights and a Walmart in Mentor, merchandise $709 at Meijer in Maumee, merchandise $494 at Meijer in Westerville, $1,234 in Walmart and Meijer in Findlay, and $881 at Petco and Target in Toledo.

The burglary charge is attached to the alleged April 22 theft at Kroger in Perrysburg. Robbery is when someone trespasses into an occupied structure or secure part of an occupied structure with the intention of committing theft.

The two theft violations were for the use of two credit cards on April 22 without the owner’s consent.

Money laundering occurs when they are suspected of carrying out transactions with the aim of facilitating corrupt activities.

Cobb was arrested Thursday and remains in jail on $100,000 bail.

A warrant has been issued for Watson.