3 Men Arrested for Xbox Game Scam

CARROLLTON, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Police said Wednesday that three men were arrested for a scam involving Xbox games. Investigators said the men bought the games, and returned them to the stores with blank CDs inside.

Carrollton police said the scheme was only discovered after area Wal-Mart customers who bought Xbox 360 games got them home and discovered a blank CD inside.

Police said the actual game was removed by three men, 18-year-old Tyrell Myers, 29-year-old Levar Thornton and 19-year-old Michael Cunningham.

Investigators said the trio walked into Wal-Mart stores, bought the Xbox games and then carefully opened them to remove the game DVD inside.

"They then would seal it up carefully and [post them] on eBay for sale," said Detective Black Hitchcock of the Carrollton Police Department.

Hitchcock said Thornton was the ringleader and was seen on surveillance video from the Carrollton Wal-Mart store.

Investigators said Thornton made thousands of dollars reselling the games on eBay.

When police arrested the three men, they said thy found nearly 400 postal receipts, all to eBay customers who unknowingly bought stolen games.

"They were packaged and ready to go," said Hitchcock.

Police said a Wal-Mart store in Villa Rica was just one of 11 Wal-Mart stores visited by the men. According to police, the crew bough and returned Xbox games nearly 200 times.

The suspects face charges of theft by deception, but police said the investigation is ongoing and far-reaching. Police said they have evidence that the games were mailed across the country and into Canada.

Police said charges were pending for a fourth person they think was involved in selling the games on eBay. Wal-Mart estimated their losses to be around $10,000.