Morgan Hill – Two Gilroy suspects arrested in Morgan Hill Sunday may be part of a large identity theft and forgery ring, according to Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson.
The names of the 24-year-old Hispanic male and 36-year-old Hispanic female are not being released now because the investigation into the alleged ring is ongoing, involving several law enforcement agencies, Sampson said.
Though specific details about the investigation could not be released at this time, the alleged ring may involve numerous suspects.
Officers responded to the Safeway grocery store in Tennant Station shopping center at approximately 10:20am after the manager reported the pair were attempting to cash $400 in gift cards. The manager notified police after discovering the gift cards had been purchased with stolen credit cards.
Sampson said Morgan Hill police officer Bill Norman recognized the woman from a prior investigation, and each of the suspects had an outstanding warrant.
They were booked into Santa Clara County Jail. The woman was arrested for the warrant and on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, as well as charges of alleged burglary, possession of stolen property and violation of probation.
The man was arrested for the warrant and on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and alleged possession of drug paraphernalia.
The ongoing investigation into the ring involves the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the United Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the Gilroy Police Department, as some of the crimes may have been committed in Gilroy.
“This is really quite a significant deal,” Sampson said.
Identity theft is a growing problem across the nation. In many cases, identity theft, fraud and forgery are tied to illegal drugs.
