WOBURN, Mass. — A 19-year-old college student who police say racked up more than $500,000 in fraudulent purchases while working at a store at the Burlington Mall faced a judge on Friday.
Ariel Foster, 19, of Boston, was arraigned Friday in Woburn District Court on charges including larceny over $1,200. A plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf and the judge set her bail at $1,000.
While employed at Lovisa, a jewelry store in the mall, Foster put together an elaborate credit card scheme to fund a slew of lavish purchases, according to the Burlington Police Department.
On three separate dates between February 2 and February 22, prosecutors allege that Foster scanned items from the store onto the register, increased their price, and refunded the cost of those items to her credit card.
Surveillance video from inside the store also appeared to have been tampered with, prosecutors added.
An investigation showed that Foster stole a total of $547,187 from the company through a total of eight transactions, according to police.
Foster is said to have used that money to purchase a $35,000 Tesla, nearly $6,000 in Delta airline credits, almost $5,000 worth of Louis Vuitton items, and hotel stay in Maui that topped $20,000.
Foster was taken into custody Wednesday after detectives executed a search warrant at her dorm room on the campus of Lasell University in Newton.
The judge also ordered Foster to stay away from Lovisa, the mall, and the victims involved in the case.
She is due back in court in May.
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