A New York Police Department officer is facing criminal charges after allegedly sharing a suspect’s credit card information with friends who attempted to use it on a Starbucks run. The incident in March came to light after the unsuspecting woman reported the fraudulent activity.
RELATED STORIES: UPDATE: Diddy Is Not The Subject of An NYPD Criminal Investigation As NYPD Admits Providing False Information
Officer Andy Urrutia, 23, allegedly shared a woman’s credit card number, expiration date, and security code with his friends through a text message. Along with the information, he also sent photos of the credit card, which had been seized from the woman while she was held at the 52nd Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx. In the text messages, Urrutia boasted, “Lunch on me, guys!” and encouraged his friends to try using the card, as The New York Daily News reported.
Urrutia’s friends were unsuccessful in using the stolen credit card. A Starbucks barista declined the card after multiple attempts, leading the friends to give up. When the woman discovered her card had been used and declined while in police custody, she reported the fraud to the authorities. The NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau swiftly identified Urrutia as the culprit and took him into custody after his shift ended.
RELATED STORIES: Police Bodycam Captures Suspect’s Uber Fail: Burglary Foiled by Ride App
Urrutia now faces grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, petty larceny, official misconduct, attempted identity theft, and unlawful possession of personal identification. The NYPD and prosecutors are investigating whether Urrutia had shared other suspects’ credit card numbers with his friends.
The officer, who had been with the NYPD for only a year, was suspended following his arrest. He was released without bail and is scheduled to appear in Bronx Criminal Court on February 6.