The Brief
- Suspects used a stolen identity to fraudulently buy a $4,200 lawn mower and rent a trailer from a Tractor Supply in Camp Verde, marshals said Wednesday.
- Automated license plate readers tracked the getaway vehicle down I-17, leading police to arrest 36-year-old Phoenix resident Christerful Ray Bryant Jr.
- A search of Bryant’s Jeep uncovered documents linking him to a multi-state fraud ring across Arizona and California, with authorities still searching for a female accomplice.
PHOENIX – A Phoenix man is behind bars and authorities say they are uncovering a multi-state identity theft ring after a high-end lawnmower and trailer were fraudulently taken from a rural Arizona store using a victim’s stolen information.
What we know:
The arrest of 36-year-old Christerful Ray Bryant Jr. follows an investigation by the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office after license plate tech tracked a rental SUV down Interstate 17 back to the Valley, unearthing evidence linking the suspect to even bigger fraud schemes playing out in Arizona and California.…