Cops: Inwood Woman Busted for Target Return Scheme

An Inwood woman was arrested on Thursday after cops found that she had on numerous occasions returned merchandise boxes filled with paper to Target stores and pocketed the money, police said.

Ebony Washington, 29, allegedly engaged in the scheme beginning on Nov. 16 up until her arrest on Thursday. Washington would apparently go to Target stores throughout Nassau County and would purchases items such as an Xbox 360 and video games using cash, according to police. She would then return to the same store or a different Target location and return the packages filled with paper to match the original items’ weight.

At about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday Washington purchased an Xbox 360 at the Farmingdale Target and then attempted to return it at 2:53 p.m. A store employee noticed the box was filled with paper and called the police. The Inwood resident was placed under arrest.

The 29-year-old has been charged with grand larceny and petit larceny. She was scheduled to be arraigned on Friday in First District Court in Hempstead.