Federal agencies joining investigation of 3 arrested in Newton Falls

NEWTON FALLS — Three Queens, N.Y., men are in Trumbull County Jail after Newton Falls police arrested them Saturday night on charges that they were involved in a high-tech theft ring using prepaid credit cards.

Thierno O. Wann, 32, Mamadu A. Balde, 37, and Manadou A. Diallo, 24, were arrested after a clerk at the Circle K store on East Broad Street called police at 9 p.m. saying that Balde used three different credit cards to pay for items before one of the cards came up listed as stolen.

Balde was still in the store when an officer arrived. Later, police located a Chevy van containing Wann and Diallo and arrested all three men after discovering evidence in the van suggesting what they were doing.

Inside the van, police found 21 credit cards, 26 cartons of Newport cigarettes and gift cards for various stores valued at $1,250.

The police department notified federal authorities, and several federal agencies are joining in the investigation to determine whether the men are part of a larger enterprise, Litherland said, adding that the arrest in Newton Falls appears to be just the “tip of the iceberg.”

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