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2 Maryland men accused of gaming machine thefts from Virginia convenience stores

FAIRFAX, Va. — Two Maryland men are accused of theft in a string of gaming machine robberies that targeted convenience stores in northern Virginia, authorities said Tuesday.

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Leonard Jones, 59, and Terrell Hardy, 35, were arrested Tuesday by the Fairfax County Police Department in Alexandria, police said in a news release.

Jones was charged with grand larceny, possession of burglarious tools, two counts of destruction of property and petit larceny, the release stated. Hardy was charged with grand larceny, destruction of property and simple assault.

Police said they received a call reporting the theft of a gaming machine in a 7-Eleven store located in the Mount Vernon section of Alexandria, WJLA-TV reported. Two men were seen loading the machine into a silver truck. The same store had been robbed by thieves targeting gaming machines on Jan. 16, according to the television station.

Officers patrolling the area after the theft later found a truck matching the description at another 7-Eleven store in Alexandria, WTTG-TV reported. Jones and Hardy were wearing clothes that matched the description of the men seen on surveillance footage stealing from the first convenience store on Tuesday, police said.

An inspection of the vehicle revealed parts of a gaming machine inside the bed of the truck, WJLA reported.

Police said that additional charges could be filed against Jones and Hardy as authorities review evidence in six previous gaming machine thefts throughout Fairfax County.