Posted on 08/08/2006 10:13:27 AM PDT by Ready2go
FBI Interested in Large Prepaid Cell Phone Purchases Posted 8/3/2006 06:06 PM
Store clerks in Grafton say people have been coming into their stores and buying several phones at a time. Story by Sarah Kapis Email | Bio
Folks at the Dollar General in Grafton say in the past few days, several men have come into the store attempting to buy large numbers of prepaid phones. However, store policy only allows a customer to buy two phones at a time, in fact, they are locked away from the general public.
The clerks say after they were in the Dollar General, the men went to the Grafton Walmart to try to purchase more of the phones.
Grafton police found one man during a traffic stop. They say he had hundreds of prepaid phones in his car.
There is no word on what the men planned to do with the phones or why they bought so many, but the incident was later turned over to the FBI for an investigation.
The owner of Country Roads Communications says the allure of the prepaid phones is the freedom that come with them. However, the FBI is not ready to say that the phones are being used for illegal or criminal purposes.
"Prepaids are hard to track, so they're used alot for illegal operations," said Vince Cafazza.
"We are aware that there are a number of purchases throughout the state. Large purchases of trac phones. We are interested in the purchases because they are unusual," said Dan Caldwell, FBI special agent. "We also understand that a number of the larger stores in the area are aware of the purchases. We are not aware of any criminal activity associated with the purchases at this point."
Caldwell says if you notice someone trying to buy large quantities of these type of phones, you can contact your local police or the FBI.
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Thanks,
Probably just those 11 egyptian 20yr old guys who got student visa's and disappeared from JFK this week.
Just 14 more days to the 22nd...
And 15 days to the 23rd... and 16 days to the 24th...
Can you clue us in as to which state or country this is in please.
It's a TV station in from Wheeling, WV
Yeah, keep the phones in back with the sudafed...seems to stop all illegal usage...
When did this country become so damn wussified....? Don't answer...
West Virginia/Ohio border.
"Folks at the Dollar General in Grafton say in the past few days, several men have come into the store attempting to buy large numbers of prepaid phones. However, store policy only allows a customer to buy two phones at a time, in fact, they are locked away from the general public.
The clerks say after they were in the Dollar General, the men went to the Grafton Walmart to try to purchase more of the phones."
FYI, Grafton is a small town in north central WV. The kind of place where a "stranger" sticks out like a sore thumb. Not the kind of place where you won't be noticed trying to pull stunts like this. ;)
So much for the "dumb hillbilly" myth. ;)
Sigh...sorry no sleep last night.
It's a TV station in Wheeling, WV
No doubt there will soon be laws to limit purchases of prepaid cellphones.
I have to ask...any mention, in the local WVA news of the ethnicity of the strangers? Just curious, as there are some 11 or so Egyptian 'students' currently unaccounted for.
Only because the sleeper cells alarm has not gone off yet.
Drug gangs buy them in bulk
There have been similar reports of attempts to purchase large numbers of cell phones in CA, TX, NM.
They are planning something, for sure.
And the FBI is currently looking for 11 Egyptian students who failed to show up for a language seminar in Montana.
They're not purchasing them to send off to the troops? Are you sure? ;)
Have you forgotten that cell phones were used to trigger the explosives in the Madrid bombing?
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