Richmond Couple Arrested for Identity Theft
February 10, 2013
Richmond Couple Arrested for Identity Theft
A Richmond couple, Jason Ward and Ereka Wilkerson were arrested for identity theft which included hundreds of victims throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with over $30,000.00 in identifiable fraud as well as the theft of 6.7 million in checks from a Marin County Investment Company.
after US Bank reported fraudulent checks being deposited into Wards account by an unidentified female. Through ATM withdrawals the suspects were able to receive over $3,000.00 in cash before the checks were found to be fraudulent.
An investigation into this complaint revealed that Ward was currently on Contra Costa County probation with a search clause for Identity Theft, but The Probation Department did not have a current address for him. Working with Ward’s Probation officer we were able to locate him with his girlfriend Ereka Wilkerson in his vehicle in the City of Martinez.
A search of his vehicle revealed 2 fake out of state driver’s licenses with Ward’s photo and names to match 2 fraudulent credit cards and 2 fake out of state driver’s licenses with Wilkerson’s photo and names to match 2 fraudulent credit cards. Additional fraudulent cards and evidence of fraudulent transactions were also found.
A later search of their apartment in Richmond revealed over a hundred victim “profiles” hand written in notebooks; numerous credit cards in names other than their own; receipts and property linking them to over $30,000.00 in fraudulent transactions; and stolen mail which also included check books and credit cards.
In addition to the stolen mail evidence of packages being stolen from FedEx and UPS were found. The FedEx packages were found to have been stolen from a drop box in Pleasant Hill and the UPS packages were found to have been stolen from a UPS drop box in Corte Madera.
Of the packages stolen from the UPS drop box was 6.7 million dollars in checks being transferred from a Marin County Investment Company to their bank in San Francisco. The envelope also contained client’s personal identifying information and account information.
Ward ultimately confessed to the theft after being confronted with photos of him making fraudulent purchases at a Corte Madera sporting goods store near the UPS drop box. When arrested Ward was wearing the shoes purchased that sporting goods store.
The case was forwarded to our eCrimes liaison for prosecution.
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