January 27, 1999

FLUSHING WOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING MORE THAN A QUARTER-OF-A- MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MERCHANDISE OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD IN QUEENS AND MANHATTAN BY USING STOLEN CREDIT CARDS

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the arrest of a Flushing woman on charges of stealing more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars in merchandise through the use of stolen credit cards and credit card numbers over a three year period.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Renate Duerr, also known as Renate Duerr Nocerino and Elizabeth Nielson, 52, of 69-52 19th Street, Flushing. She has been charged with two counts of grand larceny in the second degree, three counts of grand larceny in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree and two counts of scheme to defraud in the first degree. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

According to District Attorney Brown, the defendant allegedly would order merchandise by credit card over the telephone and, after befriending local shopkeepers and merchants such as newsstand dealers and shoemakers, would arrange to have the merchandise delivered to their establishments where she would later pick it up. It is alleged that the defendant ordered merchandise such as computers, electronics, ski equipment and clothing valued at more than $100,000; 1998 World Series tickets valued at more than $15,000; and Radio City Music Hall tickets valued at more than $5,000. It is further alleged that the defendant arranged to have the merchandise delivered to merchants in Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Sunnyside and elsewhere in Queens County and at a commercial mail drop in Manhattan.

The District Attorney said that a team consisting of Supervising Assistant District Attorney Diane M. Peress of the Queens District Attorney's Economics Crime Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Michael J. Mansfield, NYPD Detective Irwin Pisarz of the 115th Precinct under the supervision of Lieutenant Raymond O'Connell, Police Officer Michael Dever of the Grand Larceny Task Force under the supervision of Lieutenant Richard Ference, U.S. Postal Inspector Pat Shea, under the supervision of Supervising Postal Inspector, Queens, Leonard Kennedy and investigators Neil Monaco from American Express, Robert Greene from VISA and Ed Pepp from First Data Corporation participated in the investigation and arrest.

It is to be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.