Amherst shopkeeper charged in credit card fraud

By Owen Boss and Scott Merzbach

Staff Writers

AMHERST - A local shopkeeper, charged with using Bill Belichick's daughter's credit card to buy more than a thousand dollars of merchandise at stores in Hadley, denied his involvement at his court appearance Tuesday.

Mohamed S. Nagooradumai, 39, of 42 Palley Village Place, who owns Amherst Grocery Store at 319 Main St., pleaded innocent in Eastern Hampshire District Court to charges of committing credit card fraud over $250 and receiving stolen property valued over $250.

In December, Amherst resident Amanda Belichick, daughter of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, went to the local police station to report several unauthorized transactions on her Bank of America checking account.

Her debit card, she said, had either been lost or stolen, according to police.

A police inquiry revealed that last year, during November and December, unauthorized charges were made on her card at Old Navy, Sears and Wal-Mart in Hadley and at Nagooradumai's grocery store, according to court documents. The largest transaction, made at Sears, was for a Kenmore washer and dryer set reportedly valued at $616.23.

After obtaining surveillance video from Sears, police identified Nagooradumai and his wife, Zuharia Mohamed, whom they recognized from past dealings, waiting in line just moments before the transaction was made, according to police.

On Tuesday at 11 a.m., police executed a search warrant obtained Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court at Nagooradumai's Palley Village Place home and seized a Kenmore washer and dryer set and a variety of clothing as evidence.

Lt. Ron Young, head of the police detective bureau, said the investigation is ongoing and the credit card used in the alleged thefts has not been recovered.

Young said additional charges may be filed against Nagooradumai as the investigation continues.

Contacted Wednesday, Amanda Belichick, who is the assistant coach of the women's lacrosse team at the University of Massachusetts, declined to comment. A call to the number listed for Nagooradumai's residence was not answered, and a message left there Wednesday evening was not immediately returned.

Judge Laurie MacLeod released Nagooradumai on his own recognizance and ordered him to return to court for a pretrial hearing on May 18.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com