Date: 01/19/2018
OFFENSE: Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information
Location – Patna Rd., West Jefferson County, Texas
Yesterday, 01-18-2018, around 11:00 a.m., Deputies were called to Patna Rd. by a citizen in reference to a suspicious vehicle sitting out on the road for over 30 minutes.
When Deputies K. Lovett, A. Steltz and S. Norman arrived, they noted 3 people in the car. While speaking to the occupants, Deputies saw a handgun on the floor and a large amount of mail with various names on it. Once they got them out of the car, they obtained permission to conduct a search of the car.
Deputies discovered evidence that the mail had been recently stolen from addresses in Silsbee, Lumberton and Beaumont. Deputies also located items in the car that may have been stolen in Burglaries. The three suspects were arrested for Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information under Texas Penal Code §32.51 which prohibits a person from obtaining, possessing, transferring, or using an item of identifying information of another person without the other persons consent with the intent to harm or defraud another.
All three were brought to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. They were then all booked into the Jefferson County Jail. Charges include Fraudulent use or possession of identifying information BOND $45,000.00 and Forgery BOND $15,000.00. They are 31 year old Ashley Loftin from Spurger, Tx., 33 year old Wesley Martinez of Beaumont and 26 year old Yance Young of Beaumont.
We are in the process of contacting the owners of the mail. We are also attempting to identify the owners of the items that may have been taken in a Burglary. If you can identify any of these items, contact Captain Jeff Chadney at 409-835-8737 with additional details.
Safety Tips …When ordering checks, have them sent to your financial institution instead of your home. This crew was stealing checks, credit cards, cash and other valuables.
Check your credit report at least once a year, if not more often, as part of your normal financial management practices. You can get a free report and FICO score at www.freecreditscore.com, which is an Experian company, and does not require any credit card information. You could also sign up free with Credit Karma which will do soft inquiries and not affect your credit score. Also, you are encouraged to monitor your bank accounts daily.
Special thanks to the alert citizen who saw something suspicious and called the Sheriff’s Office. #OneCountyOneCommunity
Captain Crystal Holmes
Email: Cholmes@co.jefferson.tx.us
409-835-8744 Main: 409.835.8411 Office:409-835-8744
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1/19/2018 10:48 AM
Crystal Holmes, PIO
cholmes@co.jefferson.tx.us
