Woman Gives Huge Tip on Boyfriend's Card

[Flossie]

Cops: Woman Put $5000 Tip On Beau's Plastic
Suspect, 24, faces felony charge for revenge tip

July 2 -- Following an argument with her boyfriend during a trip to Florida, a Buffalo woman illegally used the man's credit card to pay for a $55.37 meal, on top of which she added a $5000 tip for the waitress, investigators charge.

According to a criminal complaint, Serina Wolfe, 24, last Thursday quarreled with Michael Crane while they were vacationing in Clearwater.  At one point, Wolfe and Crane argued about Wolfe "wanting a flight home to New York."

Crane told cops that he refused to pay for an airline ticket and "placed a hold on his credit card."  It was after Crane released the hold on his Capital One Savor card that Wolfe allegedly committed a felony.

Wolfe, the complaint charges, used the credit card at the Clear Sky Beachside Cafe in Clearwater Beach.  The court filing does not indicate how Wolfe came into possession of the plastic.

After being presented with a check for $55.37, Wolfe paid for her dinner with the Capital One card and added the four-figure tip.

Upon learning of the $5055.37, Crane spoke with Wolfe, who "denied making the purchase."  Crane, who reported the charge as fraudulent, told police that he suspected Wolfe was "drunk or trying to get back at him."

When notified about the fraudulent charge, the restaurant reported it "had already paid out their waitress for the amount of $5000 for the tip."

During a police interview, Wolfe reportedly confessed to making the charge.  A Clearwater Police Department officer reported that Wolfe "voluntarily handed me the card and said this is the one I used to pay the $5055.37 tab."

Pictured above, Wolfe was arrested yesterday afternoon for grand theft.  She is being held in the county jail in lieu of $1000 bond, and has been ordered by a judge to have no contact with Crane.

According to 2017 news reports, Wolfe was arrested in May of that year for stealing the wallet of a man she met in a Buffalo-area bar.  When collared, Wolfe had more than $500 stashed in her underwear.  The victim's wallet was found in a dumpster.  The disposition of that grand larceny case could not be determined.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/whopping-tip-arrest-635904

[Howl]

This was in the sidebar next to that article: 

Plea Reached In Florida Cougar Attack: Woman, 64, cops to reduced charge in grope, grind case

[AliceInFundyland]

Not exactly specific to this incident but it's an interesting bit of morality. Receiving money as a gratuity that you might later learn is a result of identity theft, regular theft, or fraud.

Frequently there are protections in place. Not always.

[The Mother Dust]

I wonder if the waitress was allowed to keep the tip.

[Flossie]

15 hours ago, The Mother Dust said:

I wonder if the waitress was allowed to keep the tip.

The restaurant says they paid the waitress her tip, and she's not giving it back.

It's going to be up to the courts do decide what happens next.  I suspect that the boyfriend (Michael Crane) will sue his now ex-girlfriend (Serina Wolfe) and she'll be told to pay for her meal and the tip.  But it seems that Wolfe has a problem with spending other people's money and she probably won't pay it back, unless she files taxes and any tax returns are sent to her ex.

There's also the problem that when they had a fight, Crane refused to buy Wolfe a ticket to return home.  Crane at first put a hold on the card, but then cancelled the hold, and Wolfe then took the card, went out to dinner, and gave the waitress a huge tip.  She must have continued to stay with him in their hotel room after the fight, and lulled him into a false sense of security, otherwise how could she get the card?  

I can't figure out just how things worked out.  Crane was notified that a meal and a large tip was charged to his card, he asked Wolfe if she did it, and she denied it.  So he reported the charges to the cc company as fraud.  But when Wolfe was arrested, she produced the card and admitted that she'd made the charges.  It seems that Crane thought he'd lost the card and some stranger used it for a meal?

Note to Michael Crane:  If you are suspicious enough to put a hold on your credit card, don't release the hold until you have it in hand and the person you are suspicious of isn't in a position to steal it and go on a spending spree.  Also, buy that person a plane ticket home and spend the rest of your vacation solo.