The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday arrested Phillip Paul Thomas, 23, of 18529 Sunflower Road, Fort Myers, on charges of credit card fraud (fivecounts), fraudulent/criminal use of personal identification information (three counts), scheme to defraud, grand theft and dealing in stolen property.

On July 8, 2008, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint regarding theft and fraudulent use of credit cards. The complaint came from the manager of Advance Auto Parts, located at 19099 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers. The manager said he believed a store employee, identified as Thomas, had been using customers’ credit card numbers to purchase items from the store. According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, Thomas would then return the items to the store and collect the cash which resulted from the return.

Detectives with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit assumed the investigation. The year-long probe revealed the complainant’s allegations were accurate and that Thomas had been using customer credit card information for nearly three months as part of a scheme to illegally obtain money from Advance Auto Parts, according to sheriff’s reports. In all, Thomas is accused of defrauding three individuals, plus Advance Auto Parts, for roughly $2,500, officials said.

Thomas has been transported to the Lee County Jail. The incident remains under investigation.