Greenfield Man Charged After Buying Gift Cards in Greendale to Buy Crack

A Greenfield man is facing charges after he allegedly bought $1,200 in J.C. Penny’s gift cards so he could trade them for crack cocaine.

John Patrick Graham, 47, was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Thursday with two counts of theft by fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison and $20,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Dec. 6, 7 and 8, Graham took his mother’s credit card to located in and purchased multiple $100 gift cards on each occasions. Two of the trips he told the cashier the woman whose name was on the card was his wife and the other occasion he commented about purchasing the cards for kids.

Graham’s mother contacted police after discovering the charges and determined it was her son who made them.

He admitted to purchasing the cards and then selling them for crack. Graham told police he got the credit card from his mother by telling her he planned to use it to purchase a jacket.

He will make his initial appearance in court March 14.