San Jose police arrest man allegedly connected to seven-figure fraud scheme
A man was arrested by San Jose police after he allegedly used altered money orders and stolen personal checks to steal more than $1 million across multiple victims.
SAN JOSE — San Jose police say they’ve arrested a 30-year-old man in connection to a fraud scheme that caused victims to lose more than $1 million combined.
Investigations into a series of check fraud and identity theft cases began in May 2022, authorities said in a news release Monday. Those cases, which added up to losses in the seven-figure range, were connected to a crime ring that police say printed fraudulent checks, stole legitimate personal checks and altered money orders in order to fund the purchases of guns, drugs and jewelry.
The investigation resulted in the identification of a 30-year-old Sunnyvale man, who was arrested Thursday after a $1 million warrant was issued. Police said he was in possession of a privately made “ghost” gun — carrying no serial number — with an extended magazine at the time of his arrest.
When a search warrant was executed at his home, investigators located a short barreled assault rifle, another ghost gun with extended magazines, ammunition, cash, jewelry, 100 altered money orders and more than 600 fraudulent checks belonging to victims.
The man was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of felony fraud, identity theft and weapons charges.
Anyone with information about these cases or similar cases is asked to contact Detective Wellman #4447 of the San Jose Police Financial Crimes, Burglary Unit via email: 4447@sanjoseca.gov.