NYC men tried to use fake IDs at Bloomingdale’s, Nassau cops say

Two New York City men were arrested and charged with criminal possession of forged instruments after the pair tried to return $3,000 worth of merchandise to Bloomingdale’s in East Garden City on Monday using a fake Connecticut driver’s license and re-encoded credit cards, police said.

One of the two men also was ticketed by Nassau County police — after they learned he’d driven to the store despite having a suspended license.

Cedric Metullus, 20, of East 49th Street in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn, and Alan Ado Germain, 21, of 224th Street in Laurelton, Queens, were arrested during a traffic stop Monday at 6:05 p.m. after visiting the store at Roosevelt Field mall on Old Country Road. Police said Metullus and Germain were each charged with two counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument. Police said Metullus, driving with a suspended license, also was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and issued “several” tickets.

Major Case Bureau detectives said Metullus and Germain attempted to return $3,000 worth of merchandise to Bloomingdale’s using a fraudulent Connecticut driver’s license, but the transaction was not processed — an employee instead notifying police. The two men left the store, taking the merchandise with them. Third Precinct officers spotted the vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and made the arrests. Police said during their investigation fraudulent re-encoded credit cards were recovered.

Police said the merchandise also was recovered. Police said they are now trying to determine if those goods were stolen elsewhere.

Both men face arraignment Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”