Criminal Charges, Volume XLI: Roommates edition

As this school year comes to a close, many students nationwide will begin searching for new housing and considering new roommates for the summer semester or the coming academic year. But co-eds of America be warned: Not all roommates are created equal.

In this week's collection of credit card theft stories, we find out a guy who lived with a spider apparently had the most responsible roommate.

Theft victim loses Xbox, spider and credit card
To people of all ages, the Xbox is not just a video game system but a source of entertainment and companionship. Which makes me wonder: If your video game system and your pet both disappeared, would one be missed more?

A Tucson, Ariz., man was forced to face that difficult consideration on April 20, when he told police that thieves stole both his game system and his furry friend from his apartment. The Arizona Daily Star reports the victim told deputies "a television set, a laptop computer, an Xbox 360, three game controllers, six games, a rotary saw, his pet tarantula and the tank were taken."

Three days later, the man apparently realized that his credit card was gone as well. "The man called the Sheriff's Department on April 23 and said his Chase Visa card was also taken. He said someone used the card at three locations," the paper reported. At least we know the tarantula was valued more highly than his credit.

Florida man swipes plastic from napping roommate
Say what you will about rooming with a spider, but they are certainly more trustworthy than some human flat mates.

Need proof? Wesley Moore of Palm Bay, Fla., faces fraud charges after he allegedly went on a $1,500 shopping spree at Wal-Mart, paid for with his sleeping roommate's credit cards.

Moore was arrested on May 5 following investigation into claims he stole two credit cards from his roommate’s purse as she slept. He then went to Wal-Mart to shop with the stolen plastic. According to FloridaToday.com, "The roommate discovered the credit charges and confronted Moore after Wal-Mart provided copies of the sales transaction, police reported."

When confronted about his crime, Moore apparently decided to fess up. "Police said Moore admitted to using the cards and knew he was wrong," the Web site reports.

Perhaps the victimized cardholder's next roommate will be a spider, rather than a snake.

Fraudster mom leaves baby in car while shopping with stolen plastic
Some students or young adults may live with their parents while in school or just after graduation. If your parents are anything like one Michigan mom, however, you may want to reconsider that plan.

That's because Aricka Lynn McGuire of Brighton, Mich., is charged with leaving her baby in the car while shopping at Best Buy with a fraudulently obtained credit card. Police say that McGuire used that plastic to purchase about $500 worth of DVDs and computer equipment while her 6-month-old son remained in her vehicle for approximately one hour.

At around 7 p.m. on May 8, police say they responded to "a store clerk's complaint about the woman using a fraudulently obtained credit card to buy merchandise," LivingstonDaily.com reports. According to Chief Tom Wightman, "police determined the 38-year-old Brighton woman had received the card while making an earlier purchase at Best Buy using a fraudulent driver’s license in the name of an Oakland County woman."

"When police escorted McGuire to her vehicle, they found her son along with the store merchandise," the Web site reports.

The charges against McGuire include identity theft, receiving and concealing stolen property and breaking a new Michigan law prohibiting leaving a child younger than 6 years old unattended in a vehicle "for a period of time that poses an unreasonable risk of harm or injury."