On Dec. 18 at 10:16 a.m., Officer J. Timko responded to Sears at St. Charles Towne Center, 11110 Mall Circle in Waldorf, for the report of an unknown suspect who had used fraudulent traveler's checks to make purchases in the previous two days. Loss prevention officers had video surveillance showing the suspect making a purchase with a traveler's check the previous day. After reviewing the surveillance video, Officer Timko turned his attention to the surveillance monitors showing live activity on the sales floor and coincidentally observed the same suspect attempting to make a purchase at a register.
Additional officers, including members of the Tactical Response Squad working a holiday assignment nearby, responded to the store. Officer Timko and Sgt. B. Voorhaar stopped the suspect at the counter and placed him under arrest. Once they had the suspect in custody, a Sears employee advised a second suspect was at another register attempting to make a purchase with the same fraudulent traveler's checks. Sgt. Voorhaar responded to that register and placed the second suspect under arrest.
During the investigation, officers learned the suspects had used the fraudulent traveler's checks at other businesses in the mall. Detectives from the Financial Crimes Unit responded to the mall to handle the investigation. The first suspect, Stephen Horace Ball, 41, of Washington, D.C., and the second suspect, Lewis Lionell Kelley, 31, of Temple Hills, were charged with seven counts of theft less than $500, theft more than $500 scheme and eight counts each of uttering a false document and forgery. They are being held at the Charles County Detention Center pending appearances before the District Court Commissioner. Det. Caroline Baker is continuing the investigation.