Welch
Clinton PD assisted in investigation
The Warsaw Police Department, in cooperation with the Jacksonville Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, Beulaville Police Department, Clinton Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), has identified three individuals believed to be responsible for a widespread fraud scheme targeting retail stores across Eastern North Carolina and multiple other states.
Over the past several months, investigators have uncovered a series of thefts involving prepaid Visa gift cards and lottery tickets, in which suspects used deceptive payment tactics to obtain thousands of dollars in merchandise and winnings fraudulently. At local businesses, the suspects presented non-functioning Cash App or YouTube gift cards and inadvertently activated the cards. Once activated, the suspects grabbed the items and fled the premises — typically escaping in a white Volkswagen Tiguan SUV bearing Florida registration.
The Warsaw Police Department can now confirm the identity and legal status of the following suspects, all of whom are from Flint, Michigan:
Darious Delshawn Welch, 20, was extradited from Illinois and transported back to Duplin County on Aug. 26. A detective from the Warsaw Police Department then interviewed him. He was served with nine active warrants issued by multiple agencies, including the Warsaw Police Department, Beulaville Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Jacksonville Police Department, and Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.
Welch is currently being held in the Duplin County Jail under a $180,000 secured bond. He is facing a total of 31 charges, including: nine counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, one count of felony in possession of stolen goods, eight counts of felony conspiracy, four counts of felony organized retail theft, two counts of felony larceny, six counts of misdemeanor larceny, one count of misdemeanor conspiracy.
Welch is expected to appear in courts in Duplin, Sampson, and Onslow counties in the coming days. Additionally, an active investigation is underway in South Carolina, where Welch is also suspected of committing similar offenses.
Keaysha Warren, 22, has been identified through forensic evidence, including the use of her Michigan EBT card at several locations associated with fraud. The Warsaw Police Department has issued outstanding warrants for her arrest and extradition. Her current location is under investigation.
Jalen Jamal Coleman, 19, is currently being held in Michigan, where he faces charges related to similar criminal activity. The Warsaw Police Department has issued outstanding warrants for his extradition to North Carolina. Coleman was previously identified in connection with a similar fraud investigation in Columbia, South Carolina.
It is believed that these three individuals, along with other unidentified accomplices, have been participating in similar criminal schemes for at least two years across approximately 10 states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Delaware, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Indiana.
On June 20-21, the suspects targeted numerous retail establishments in Onslow and Duplin counties, including Sheetz and Best Mart in Warsaw, where they successfully activated and fled with high-value prepaid cards and lottery tickets after coaxing the clerks into activating them before rendering successful payment. In several instances, they escaped with over $5,000 in merchandise per incident.
Surveillance footage and License Plate Reader (LPR) data captured images of the suspects and the white Volkswagen Tiguan used in these crimes. The vehicle was registered to Avis Rental, and further investigation revealed ties to all three suspects.
This is an ongoing, multi-jurisdictional investigation involving local and state law enforcement partners, including the North Carolina SBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Waterford Police Department (Michigan), West Chicago Police Department (Illinois), and agencies across multiple other states.
The Warsaw Police Department would like to thank all partnering agencies and the public for their continued assistance and support in this extensive investigation.
