CLEARWATER, FLA. — Two local men were arrested after they were accused of using a fraudulent credit card to buy four puppies at a Clearwater pet store for more than $11,000, authorities said.
According to a Pinellas County arresting affidavit, Shacquille Royal, 33, of Tampa, was captured on surveillance video in the Sunshine Puppies Two in Clearwater purchasing a Yorkie, and a French bulldog valued at $2,617 and $2,650, respectively.
He signed paperwork and used a Visa credit card, which was linked to his phone, to make the purchase, the report stated. Royal requested to use the “tap” feature, but because the business didn’t have that feature, Royal manually entered the card information to pay for both dogs, the affidavit stated.
Then, on Feb. 1, Royal and Antuan Davis, 23, of Valrico, were both recorded on video buying a shih-poo and another French bulldog for $2,100 and $4,000, respectively. They used a Visa and a Mastercard and entered in the information manually.
Between Feb. 11 and 12, the owner of the pet store received four dispute letters regarding the Visa and Mastercard. The transactions were determined to be fraudulent, costing the pet store more than $11,357, the report stated.
Both men were identified by the pet store owners in photos and a detective with the Pasco County sheriff’s Office stated he recently arrested Davis for a similar crime.
Royal and Davis were arrested by the Clearwater Police Department on Feb. 23 and charged with grand theft.
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