ERMA- Lower Township police received a 9-1-1 call Wednesday, 3-17-10 at approximately 5 p.m. from the manager of the West Marine Store located at the base of the Garden State Parkway in Lower Township.

The store manager identified as Mr. Brad Collen, indicated that he had received a fax from the main office of the West Marine Branch Headquarters alerting all West Marine Stores to be on the look out for a suspicious couple described as a black male and a heavy set Asian female who had purchased items at multiple West Marine Stores in Delaware, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, with fraudulent credit cards.

The manager advised police dispatch that he believed the couple was in fact in his store attempting to purchase an expensive Marine Radar Unit with a credit card. CPL. Kevin Boyle and Patrol Officer Patrick Greene responded to the West Marine Store and questioned the couple who were operating a rented vehicle from Piscataway.

A warrants check was then conducted on both subjects with the male subject identified as Ricardo Petit-homme, age 33 of Brooklyn, New York, coming back a hit or wanted person from the states of Virginia and Minnesota for Credit Card Fraud and Grand Larceny.

The female subject provided the officers with a driver’s license from Pennsylvania. Further investigation on scene determined that the driver’s license was a counterfeit document containing a fictitious name.

Petit-homme was arrested at the scene for being a Fugitive From Justice and the female was arrested for Providing False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer during the course of an investigation.

Both suspects were transported to the Lower Township Police Department for processing.

Officers then sent the female’s fingerprints through the New Jersey State Police Live Scan Fingerprint System, which identified her as Florence Chan, age 38, with the following alias; Florence Tsui and Yuen Tsui.

A warrants check of Chan revealed that she had outstanding arrest warrants issued against her from the states of Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.

Both subjects were then transported to the County Jail where Ricardo Petit-homme was lodged on two separate body warrants, specifically for being a Fugitive from Justice from the State of Virginia and being a Fugitive from Justice from the State of Minnesota.

Florence Chan was lodged in the Cape May County Jail on a $25,000 bail/warrant set by Lower Township Municipal Court Judge, David DeWeese, specifically for providing False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer during the course of an investigation by producing a counterfeit driver’s license, being a 3rd degree crime: along with three counts of Possession of a Fraudulent Credit Cards, being 4th degree crimes.

Chan was also charged as being a Fugitive of Justice from the State of North Carolina where she was also wanted in that state for fraudulent credit card violations.

All of the other states involved have notified the Lower Township Police Department that they are willing to extradite both Petit-homme and Chan back to their states to face trial on the outstanding charges.

Lower Township Police Chief, Edward Donohue credited the West Marine Store Manager for his alertness in identifying the suspects and his officers quick response to the store in leading to the apprehension of these two career criminals.

The case was investigated by CPL. Kevin Boyle, Patrol Officer Patrick Greene and Detective Art Mason.

Press Release Prepared By: Detective Lieutenant Thomas Keywood