4 Arrested As Part Of Elaborate ID Theft Ring In Fontana
FONTANA (CBSLA.com) — Authorities have arrested four people on suspicion of running an elaborate identity-theft ring.
The four were taken into custody just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, when they allegedly attempted to open a phony account at a Kohl's store in Fontana.
Officers detained Norra Mokhtar, 34; Pauletta Dancy, 37; Meagan Long, 30; and Michael Picciolo, 30.
A search warrant was served at Mokhtar's residence in Rialto. A check on her name revealed she was out of custody on early release. Police did not say what she had been serving time for.
Fontana police said they seized approximately 200 victim profiles, including tax returns, credit cards, identification cards, Social Security cards, driver's licenses, credit reports and bank accounts. They also seized computers and printers used to make counterfeit California ID cards.
The suspects were also in possession of narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine.
The investigation is continuing, police said.
Detectives will contact the nearly 200 people whose information was compromised then recovered during the investigation.
Mokhtar and Dancy were arrested and booked at the West Valley Detention Center. Long and Picciolo were arrested and released from the Fontana Police Department jail.