MIDTOWN — A Saks Fifth Avenue employee used store credit cards opened under other people’s names to steal $68,000 worth of merchandise from the retailer, authorities said.
Queens resident Shuya Xia, 25, started working at Saks' flagship at 611 Fifth Ave., between East 49th and 50th streets, at the end of March, according to a complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
On June 29, a surveillance camera at the department store captured Xia using a house computer to open three Saks Fifth Avenue credit card accounts in three different people’s names, the complaint said.
Then, on July 2 and July 3, Xia opened two more store credit card accounts using the names of two others, the DA’s office said.
Between June 29 and July 3, the employee used the cards to buy more than $50,000 worth of merchandise from the store, the complaint said. In total, she bought about $68,000 in items with the cards, the NYPD said.
Xia was arrested on July 25 after Saks Fifth Avenue’s loss-prevention staff discovered she’d opened the credit card accounts and used the cards to purchase the merchandise, the DA’s office said.
She was charged with two counts of grand larceny, one count of identity theft and one count of unlawful possession of personal identification information, the complaint said.
Xia was released on $2,500 bail a day after her arrest and is expected to appear in court on Oct. 14, according to the DA's office and city Department of Correction records.
An attorney for Xia and a Saks Fifth Avenue representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
