Customs Agent Arrested in Retail Scam
Long Beach police arrested a U.S. Customs agent early Thursday after a two-year investigation showed he was using fake store receipts to defraud money from retailers, police said.
Salvatore Oddo, 45, of Laguna Niguel has been with the Los Angeles customs office 13 years, said the agency’s public affairs officer, Mike Fleming. His arrest was unrelated to his law-enforcement job, police said.
Oddo is accused of using fake receipts to return merchandise to stores in Long Beach in exchange for cash, Long Beach police spokeswoman Maria Mendez said.
Detectives are trying to determine if he was exchanging stolen merchandise. They turned up a house full of luggage and small appliances while searching his home, she said. Police also had warrants to search three storage lockers, she said.
Oddo was booked on suspicion of grand theft and commercial burglary, and bail was set at $20,000.
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