AMADOR COUNTY, CA — A credit card and identity theft investigation initiated on November 30 has concluded with the apprehension of a suspect currently in custody, according to a report from the Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began after a man reported to the Sheriff’s Office that his distinctive wallet, lost at a local bar the night before, had been used in several fraudulent credit card transactions. A deputy subsequently contacted the victim and began the process of collecting evidence, including requesting video surveillance from businesses where the stolen card was used.
On December 6th, a separate law enforcement action occurred when a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Coal Mine Road in Jackson Valley due to an expired registration on a blue Ford Explorer. During the stop, deputies identified one of the occupants as a Stockton man wearing a red flannel coat. The man was found to be on probation and had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest. A subsequent vehicle search revealed the man was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The man’s four prior drug-related convictions led to the current possession charge being filed as a felony violation of California’s Proposition 36. Prior to transport, the man requested a deputy retrieve his wallet from the vehicle.
The investigation into the credit card theft advanced on December 9, when the initial deputy retrieved surveillance video from a local business. The video reportedly showed a man in a red flannel coat using the stolen credit card to purchase several items before leaving the location in a blue Ford Explorer. This vehicle was quickly identified as the one involved in the December 6 traffic stop and subsequent arrest of the Stockton man, who remained in custody…