A Fort Lee, NJ detective pulled over a car and claims to have discovered $27,000 worth of iPhones that had allegedly been purchased using stolen credit cards.

Detective Timothy Cullen made a traffic stop near the George Washington Bridge. Cullen initiated pursuit when a 2014 Chrysler 300 drove past his unmarked car on Route 1.

Cullen said that he received permission to search the vehicle, which led to him allegedly discovering gift cards with credit card numbers on the magnetic strips. Cullen also said that he found 43 new iPhones that had reportedly been purchased at malls in Pennsylvania and more than $3,800 in cash.

The three people inside the vehicle were all arrested and charged with identity theft, credit card theft, forgery, and receiving stolen property.

In New Jersey, receiving stolen property is addressed by N.J.S.A. 2C:20-7A. The statute classifies the crime according to the value of the stolen property. In this case, the suspects could each be sentenced to up to five years in NJ State Prison on the receiving stolen property charges because the iPhones and credit cards exceed $500 in total value.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Fort Lee Detective Finds $27K in iPhones Bought with Stolen Credit Card Numbers, Police Say.”