Mahwah Gas Attendant Swiped Credit Cards, Bought Jewelry: Police

MAHWAH, NJ — A township gas station attendant was arrested recently for stealing customers' debit card information and buying jewelry with it, police said.

Police traced information back to Bryan Collazo, 23, a township resident who works at the Pilot Travel Center on Route 17 South after a customer reported a fraudulent transaction of $1,370 from a Texas jewelry store, said Chief James Batelli.

Before that transaction, the victim last used the debit card at the gas station earlier in the day in late November, the chief said.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and saw Collazo ask for the victim's debit card a second time and saw him disappear behind the gas pumps with it, Batelli said.

Detectives contacted the jewelry store and learned that Collazo tried using 10 different cards to make purchases, but was only able to complete one of the purchases, Batelli said.

Five of the credit cards were used at the gas station and Collazo handled the purchases. Collazo admitted during an interview with police that he took pictures of the front and back of the last victim's credit card and that he had the jewelry shipped to him. Collazo then sold the jewelry, Batelli said.

Collazo was charged with five counts of obtaining and using a stolen credit card and one count of receiving stolen property valued at more than $500, but less than $75,000. He also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest from the Bergen County Sheriff's Office was taken to the Bergen County Jail.

The Mahwah Police Department is asking that anyone who used their credit or debit card at the gas station, and has fraudulent charges on their account to call Detective Sgt. Kevin Hebert at 201-529-1000, ext. 200.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Bryan Collazo (Mahwah Police Department)