(PORT CHARLOTTE) A Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputy arrested a Deep Creek man who stole a man’s wallet he found at a doctor’s office and bought $1,024 in merchandise with two stolen credit cards. Arrested was Vincent Patrick Serino, 71, 27170 Guapore Drive.

CCSO received a call Monday at 1:30 p.m. from a patient who had filled out insurance forms at his Port Charlotte doctor’s office and accidently left his wallet on a chair. When he discovered it missing, he called CCSO. He also contacted his bank and was informed there were three successful transactions at Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s and Dillard’s in Port Charlotte and one attempted purchase for $432.12 at the Murdock Wal-Mart that was denied.

The deputy contacted the manager of Bed, Bath & Beyond who said the man purchased $534.99 in merchandise and used an unsigned credit card; a check of store surveillance video showed the suspect. The deputy also contacted Wal-Mart security and found video of the same suspect who attempted to make the purchases but was denied. The suspect attempted to use a second credit card but it too was denied. Surveillance also showed the suspect leaving Wal-Mart in a white Cadillac. A copy of the videos was shown to the doctor’s office manager and she remembered an elderly patient who came in to pick up a prescription for his wife; his name was Vincent Serino.

The CCSO deputy ran a check on Serino and found that he owns a white Cadillac. They went to Serino’s home and discovered some of the fraudulently gained merchandise on a dining room table. When shown the evidence against Serino, he said, “It was a stupid opportunity!” All of the merchandise was recovered in his home and the deputy also located the three transaction receipts in his garbage can.

Serino was arrested and charged with five felony counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and one count of Grand Theft. He posted a $15,000 bond this morning and was released from the Charlotte County Jail.