Town of Newburgh Police were kept busy this past weekend responding to cases ranging from reported fraud at Walmart on Rt. 300, and two armed robberies to a bar altercation that allegedly involved a threat with a rifle.

Three New York City men were arrested Saturday as they attempted to leave the Walmart parking lot in a van. The men had made several trips into the store where they purchased thousands of dollars of merchandise using gift cards that may have been purchased with stolen or counterfeit credit cards.

Officers recovered electronic and computer equipment, numerous I-Pods and I-Pads worth about $9,000 and confiscated fake driver’s licenses and dozens of forged credit cards.

Arrested in the Walmart case were:

Wikenson Parfait, 23, of Brooklyn, who was charged with 3rd-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of forged instruments, both felonies;

Michael Hew, 33, of Brooklyn, who was charged with one count of petit larceny;

Charles Mitchell, 37, of Central Islip, who was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony.

All three men were arraigned in Town of Newburgh Court. Parfait was sent to Orange County Jail without bail. Hew and Mitchell were released on bail.

The investigation and more charges are expected, Chief of Police Michael Clancy said Monday.

Numerous incidents involving organized groups have been reported in the region during recent months. Large retail stores have been typical targets.

Town police are also investigating two armed robberies, the first of those occurring early Saturday morning at Applebee’s Restaurant on Rt. 300.

The manager of the restaurant reported that he had been held up at gunpoint at about 4:30 a.m. by a black male, about 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, wearing a gray tank-top and cargo shorts. The manager said the robber approached him in the parking lot, saying that he was having car trouble.

After displaying a hand gun, the robber took the night’s cash receipts, then locked the manager in a cooler and fled.

In the second holdup, the Economy Inn on Rt. 9W was robbed just before 1 a.m. Monday.

The manager of the motel said a black male, about 6 feet tall, wearing a black mask, blue hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans entered the office, brandished a small handgun and demanded money. The manager handed over the available cash and the gunman fled on foot on Rt. 9W.

Anyone with information about either of the robberies is asked to call (845) 564-1100.

Town Police are also investigating a case of reported gunshots at McCarthy’s Pourhouse on Tighe Avenue that occurred at about 3 a.m. Saturday.

When police arrived, officers were told that the man with a gun had fled in a black SUV that was driven by a female. They were told that no shots had been fired.

An investigation revealed some type of altercation in the bar between two men. One of the men left after threatening to return with a gun. The man did return a short time later carrying a rifle or a shotgun. Patrons fled the bar after seeing the gun and no one was injured.

The suspect is described as a black or dark-Hispanic man in his 20s with a thin build, wearing a white tank top.

– Allan Gaul