Two Charged With Financial Fraud While Working at Long Lake Gas Station

Felony fraud charges have been filed against two men accused of working together to use stolen credit cards to make more than $2,500 in unauthorized purchases at a Super America station in Long Lake.

Investigation into the purchases began last year when Wayzata police were called by a loss prevention manager suspicious of several purchases made while 22-year-old Spencer Harriman of Minnetonka was working the store’s cash register.  The loss prevention manager told officers that a total of 11 suspicious transactions had been identified during April 2012 and that a second man, identified in court documents as 31-year-old Anthony Lansing of Chaska, had been present during at least seven of the instances.

Both men were employed at the fueling station at the time of the suspicious purchases.

Charges filed this week by Hennepin County prosecutors identify at least three victims of identity theft who had their cards used to make unauthorized purchases—which ranged from $1,000 worth of gift cards, cigarettes and Red Bull to $59 in miscellaneous charges. Several of the attempted transactions were either cancelled or rejected by unknown parties for unclear reasons.

Lansing, according to the criminal complaint filed this week and signed by Wayzata police officer Michael Murphy, admitted to processing the transactions and said he received the cards from Harriman—who he believed was the rightful cardholder.

Lansing told police he was supposed to receive cash for ringing the transactions but never received promised payment from Harriman. Police were later able to confirm that Lansing used at least one of the fraudulently purchased gift cards.

For his part, Harriman told police that he did participate in the transactions but that he had received the credit cards from Lansing.

Both men have been charged with one count of financial transaction fraud, a felony for which the maximum possible penalty is up to 10 years in prison.