On Jan. 9, a mail theft and fraud victim filed an online police report. According to the report, the victim’s mail had been stolen and $6,215.18 in fraudulent credit card charges had been made at Home Depot on Jan. 8. A $2,638.90 charge had been declined at Lowe’s. The victim reported that there was video of the vehicle that was involved.
Proactive Property Crimes Unit investigators contacted Home Depot and obtained surveillance video of the transaction. It shows three suspects (two males and one female) as well as the same truck that was involved in the mail theft. All three suspects were identified.
One of males and the female were later arrested together, and their truck was impounded for a search warrant. Inside the vehicle, deputies located numerous documents belonging to other identity theft victims. In total, deputies identified and contacted 22 victims. Many of the recovered documents were stolen checks, totaling $121,193.81. The suspects also kept a detailed notebook that contained all types of information about victims: social security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, email addresses, tax ID numbers and more.
Prosecutors charged the 29-year-old male suspect with identity theft in the first degree and organized retail theft in the first degree. He posted $25,000 bail and is no longer in custody. Charges are pending for the 33-year-old female suspect as well as the second male suspect.