Southampton Man Bilked Store Employer Out Of $2K: Police

UPPER SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, PA — A Southampton man faces theft charges after bilking his employer out of several thousand dollars, police said.

On June 24, the Warrington Township Police Department responded to a report of employee theft at BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Loss Prevention told police that Chance Andrew Lerner, a 21-year-old employee from Southampton, had engaged in fraudulent activities while on the job.

Lerner is accused of using a store-issued tablet to submit numerous unauthorized credit card applications by enrolling random individuals. For each application, he received a $3 incentive, even though all of the applications were ultimately declined.

Police also said that Lerner exploited the store’s return process by performing legitimate customer returns and then repeating the transactions fraudulently. In the second round of returns, he loaded funds onto store gift cards, which he later used to make personal purchases.

The combined amount Lerner fraudulently obtained through both the credit card scheme and the manipulated return transactions was approximately $2,000.

He was arrested at the scene, transported to the police station, processed, and subsequently released pending further action. He is charged with access device fraud and theft by deception, both felonies, and theft by unlawful taking and identity theft, both misdemeanors.