Two Women Caught Running Theft Scheme at TJ Maxx

arrested two women on Aug. 3 for allegedly stealing $240 worth of merchandise from TJ Maxx on Danbury Road via an organized retail theft scheme, according to Captain John Lynch.

Police said that Idy Stern, 41, of 10 Thomas St., Trumbull, and Wendy Stein, 59, of 22 Ameridge St., Bridgeport, allegedly organized a scheme where the two would purchase high-priced merchandise from TJX stores, including TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshall's, switch the high-priced merchandise tags with low-priced TJX merchandise or non-TJX merchandise and then return a different piece of merchandise at a different store location in order to have the money credited back to their credit cards or store value cards.

According to police, two of the incidents occurred at TJ Maxx in Wilton on Feb. 25 and Feb. 28 in which Stern and Stein allegedly returned merchandise with mismatched price tags.The losses suffered by the store as a result of the two incidents were $59.98 and $180.24, respectively.

Stern and Stein were each charged with two counts of sixth-degree larceny and six counts of conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny. Their bond was set at $10,000 each and they are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 13.