Man charged in ID thefts from gyms

The Jackson County prosecutor’s office has announced charges against a Kansas City man who allegedly ripped off wallets from the locker room at the 24 Hour Fitness Center in Independence.
Brandon L. Harris, 28, of Kansas City, has been charged with four felony counts of theft/stealing a credit card and one count of felony forgery.
The probable cause statement details the following allegations:
In May a man’s wallet was stolen from the fitness center at 3850 S. Crackerneck Road. It contained his retired police identification, a badge, an American Express credit card and $100 in cash.
Harris tried to use the card at the Wal-Mart across the street the same day he stole it. He attempted to buy a $700 gift card but when asked for identification, he left the store.
During police questioning, Harris said he stole the wallet and tried to use it at Wal-Mart. He then threw the wallet out of his vehicle near the Famous Footwear store in Independence.
Another victim said his wallet was swiped from the locker room at the gym near the same time. His Discover credit card was used at the Wal-Mart for purchases totaling $790.04.
The same card was used at Target for purchases of $1,200 and for $115.93 at a Cricket store and four other smaller amounts at a gas station.
A third victim said his wallet and money clip were taken from his vehicle on June 10. The vehicle was parked in front of the 24 Hour fitness center.
The vehicle’s keys were in the locker. He located his keys in the vehicle, which was unlocked.
His three credit cards were inside the wallet, along with $200 in cash. Lee’s Summit police, which assisted Independence police, recovered the credit cards.
The fourth person who was hit in March lost his wallet, wedding ring, debit card, wrist watch and zip drive. The debit card was used by Harris at the Wal-Mart store for $300 in purchases.
Police used surveillance footage from the Wal-Mart store to identify the suspect.