A Story City man has been arrested and charged with unlawful use of a credit card after racking up $1,700 in fraudulent purchases.

Steven Brooks, 49, RR #2 in Story City, was arrested Friday during a traffic stop after a warrant was issued for his arrest, said Cmdr. Jim Robinson of the Ames Police Department.

Brooks was renting a video Friday from That’s Entertainment, 129 Lincoln Way, when he pocketed an unattended wallet sitting on a countertop, Robinson said.

“The clerk didn’t even notice the wallet until we heard about it later,” said Rodney Hibbs, owner of That’s Entertainment.

That afternoon, Brooks used a MasterCard to buy a computer from Staples, 1333 Buckeye Road, tools from Lowe’s, 120 Airport Road, and cigarettes and gas from two Kum and Go locations, Robinson said. All of the merchandise has been accounted for by police, he said.

The cardholder contacted the store and police to report a possible stolen card, Robinson said.

Ames Police found that a video surveillance camera at That’s Entertainment captured Brooks putting the wallet into his pocket by the counter, a press release said.

“We’ve used the security tape for lots of different things,” Hibbs said.

Hibbs said he’s able to spot those that have caused trouble in the past because of his video surveillance camera.

“Usually criminals are just dumb,” he said.

Store managers at Lowe’s declined comment on Brooks’ case but said they train employees who run cash registers to check for identification and confirm that receipt signatures match those on credit cards.

“Lowe’s is very conscientious [of credit card theft],” said Steve Ogden, manager at Lowe’s.

Each register is equipped with a credit or debit card machine called Sigcaps, at which the customer swipes the card. Video cameras are attached to the ceiling of the store, Ogden said.

Robinson said suspects involved in credit card theft don’t usually take much time to make purchases, knowing the card will be deactivated once its loss is discovered.

“Fraud is a big problem within our community,” Robinson said.

Staples could not comment on the incident, said Jay Burns, general manager of Staples.