Saugus Police arrest Boston man for using fake credit card to buy jewelry

SAUGUS – A Boston man who allegedly opened a fraudulent credit card to purchase more than $8,000 in jewelry was caught Tuesday after he tried to make another pricey purchase.Massimo Anthony Dimeo, 34, of 11 Foster St., #3, was charged with three counts of improper use of a credit card over $250 for a felony. He was arraigned Wednesday at Lynn District Court by Judge Ellen Flatley and was released on personal recognizance, according to court documents. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 18.Saugus Police responded to a report of a suspect attempting to use a fraudulent credit card at Belden Jewelers inside the Square One Mall in Saugus around 5 p.m.Upon arrival, officers spoke with the store manager who said the suspect, Dimeo, came into the store to make a purchase on an account he opened under the name Todd Ball. Since the account was new, the manager said a card had not yet been issued, however, if he wanted to make a purchase, all he had to do was verify his name, according to documents.The first transaction was said to have happened on Sept. 18, when Dimeo opened the account and received an $8,000 line of credit. That day, Dimeo allegedly purchased five Movado watches worth $4,904.47. Two days later, on Sept. 20, Dimeo returned to the store and bought three gold chains valued at $3,456.62.When Dimeo returned a third time on Sept. 21, he once again identified himself as Todd Ball and said he would like to extend the limit on his account to make another purchase. At that point, the manager said she would have to call the credit department to get approval. While on the phone, the manager said she was informed the account was fraudulent and to not allow any purchases.When police arrived, the manager informed them that Dimeo’s name was Todd Ball, but when police asked him if that was his real name, he said, “No, that’s just some stupid name I use to get stuff.”Since Dimeo didn’t have identification on him, police verified his real name through a probation check at the police department. He was later booked without incident.