SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — Two New York residents face multiple charges after they were arrested at a Costco store here Sunday afternoon for allegedly trying to purchase merchandise with fraudulent credit cards during what police described as part of a serial shoplifting scheme.

Brittany A. Howard, 35, of the Bronx, and Kasheem M. Williams, 34, of Brooklyn, were taken into custody around 3 p.m. at the warehouse club on Tamarack Avenue, according to the South Windsor Police Department.

Officers responded to reports of two individuals actively stealing and attempting to pay at self-checkout using fraudulent cards. Store staff had been alerted that the same suspects had reportedly tried a similar scheme earlier at a Costco location in nearby Enfield.

A search of the suspects' vehicle turned up 28 stolen financial documents, each bearing different names, along with additional merchandise believed stolen from the Enfield store, police said.

Both individuals had active out-of-state warrants at the time of their arrest. Williams faces an extraditable warrant from Suffolk County, New York, on charges including burglary, strangulation and assault. Howard has an extraditable warrant from Hudson County, New Jersey, related to credit card theft.

The pair now face additional local charges including 28 counts of payment card theft, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy. They were held on $250,000 surety bonds each and were scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges retailers face with organized retail crime and identity theft. Costco and other big-box stores have ramped up security measures, including enhanced surveillance and staff training, in response to........

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