HARRISBURG, PA — A Lehigh County man has been charged in a statewide fraud scheme after allegedly using stolen credit cards and fake IDs to purchase nearly $100,000 in merchandise from at least 23 Lowe’s stores across Pennsylvania, officials announced Monday.

Alex Jose Rulan, 33, of Allentown, faces charges including corrupt organizations, organized retail theft, criminal conspiracy, and identity theft, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. Rulan is currently being held at Montgomery County Jail on unrelated charges.

Key Points

Alex Jose Rulan allegedly bought $96K in goods from 23 Lowe’s stores using stolen credit cards.
He is charged with corrupt organizations, identity theft, and other felonies.
The purchases occurred across more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties between June and December 2023.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. alerted authorities earlier this year after identifying suspicious transactions involving high-dollar goods such as flooring, air conditioning units, and vacuums. Investigators say Rulan used fraudulent identification to pose as legitimate cardholders.

“This defendant systematically targeted consumers and stores across the Commonwealth to steal high-dollar goods,” Sunday said, crediting his Organized Retail Crime Unit with halting the operation.

The investigation found that Rulan made approximately $96,000 in fraudulent purchases between June and December 2023, spanning more than a dozen counties.

Rulan’s charges were filed following a multi-agency probe led by the Organized Retail Crime Unit.

An accused fraudster’s $100K Lowe’s spree has landed him in jail and under felony indictment.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.