BORDERLAND

Ex-McDonald’s worker guilty in debit-card theft

5/14/2014

A jury in Lucas County Common Pleas Court returned three guilty verdicts Tuesday against a former McDonald’s employee who stole debit-card information from a customer.

Sarah Williams, 19, of 4038 Jackman Rd., was found guilty of receiving stolen property, identity fraud, and possessing criminal tools. Judge Gary Cook allowed her to remain free on bond until she is sentenced June 18.

Charles McDonald, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, said Williams was working at the drive-through window at McDonald’s at West Sylvania and Lockwood avenues April 24, 2013, when she swiped a customer’s debit card through the restaurant’s system then a second time through a handheld skimming device that copies and stores the card’s data.

A “cloned” copy was used later to make purchases at a Speedway gas station and at Dillard’s. The jury deliberated less than three hours before returning its verdicts.