Suspects who stole San Carlos man's identity arrested
SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office arrested two suspects Tuesday in connection with an identity theft case involving over $200,000 of fraudulent purchases.
Patrol deputies and detectives from the Sheriff's Office Crime Suppression Unit executed a search warrant at a fraudulently rented apartment in San Jose and arrested 32-year-old Jamie Wise. That same day, deputies arrested 37-year-old San Jose resident Alexander Rivas at a different location in San Jose.
Upon searching the apartment and two fraudulently purchased vehicles, deputies found an identity theft lab with electronics, victim IDs and a stash of stolen mail from multiple Bay Area counties.
The suspects were booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility. Wise was released on Thursday while Rivas remains booked on $200,000 bail for charges of identity theft, check forgery, car theft and residential burglary, according to the District Attorney's Office, which is also investigating the case.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Rivas is the main suspect in the case. Wagstaffe described Rivas as a "professional con man" who has a long record of identity theft and could face 15 to 20 years in prison if convicted in this new case.
The Sheriff's Office was first notified of the case in early March after a San Carlos man discovered fraudulent purchases being made in his name. Over several months, the victim's identity had been used to open lines of credit, purchase high-end vehicles and rent high-end apartments in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Deputies are working to identify other victims.
Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff's Office tip line at 1 (800) 547-2700.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 14.