Couple arrested in alleged supermarket scheme

INVERNESS — An alleged attempt to swindle money from several area supermarkets ended badly for a Lecanto woman and a Beverly Hills man Wednesday.

Special to the Chronicle

Sandra Swindell.

Special to the Chronicle

Tyler George.

Deputies arrested Sandra Leigh Swindell, 25, and Tyler Young George, 29, on charges of scheming to defraud, criminal conspiracy and giving worthless checks. 

According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to the Publix supermarket on U.S. 41 in Inverness. The store manager reportedly said the woman at the counter, who was identified as Swindell, was trying to receive a cash refund on items she had purchased earlier from a different store using a check. The manager told law enforcement it had already been determined the checks being used by Swindell are being drawn on an account that has insufficient funds, the report stated.

The report said both Swindell and her boyfriend, George, had been buying items at local Publix supermarkets with worthless checks and then going to different Publix stores to return the items for cash.

“The total checks written known to date were $530.77. The total cash refunds known to date are $167.90,” Swindell’s arrest report stated.

Swindell reportedly told the deputy she opened a checking account with $50 on April 1 and she and George did go to multiple stores to make purchases. However, authorities say she stated they made the returns because of the products “not being exactly what she wanted.”

 According to her arrest report, she admitted to asking for cash refunds and she and her boyfriend made the purchases and took turns returning the items. 

George reportedly stated that Swindell wrote the checks, but was not aware she didn’t have money in her checking account. 

“He also advised that he did make returns for cash and he did drive her to all of these locations,” George’s arrest report said.

Swindell and George were arrested and transported to the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto. Her bond was set at $4,100; his bond was set $3,500.

Chronicle reporter Shemir Wiles can be reached at (352) 564-2924 or swiles@chronicleonline.com.