Conn. jury convicts Phila. man of credit card scam

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A federal jury has convicted a man of stealing credit cards from women's pocketbooks he reached while crawling on movie theater floors.

Anthony Johnson was convicted in U.S. District Court in Hartford on Monday on charges of using stolen credit cards and identity theft.

Authorities say the 49-year-old Johnson and accomplices used the stolen cards to collect thousands of dollars in cash advances from Connecticut's two gambling casinos and make retail purchases of tens of thousands of dollars in Connecticut and elsewhere.

An accomplice testified that Johnson, of Philadelphia, usually bought tickets to movies that were popular with women.

She said Johnson slithered like a snake across movie theater floors before reaching inside partially opened purses and taking the credit cards.