Lakeport >> Authorities have arrested two people alleging they tapped into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office bank account and used a deceased person’s credit card.
On Wednesday the LCSO Major Crimes detectives served an arrest warrant in the 16000 block of 32nd Avenue in Clearlake, taking Jeffrey Scott Brain and Samantha Christine Angulo into custody. The warrant was obtained after an extensive investigation into fraudulent activity detected on the LCSO’s bank account. Investigators were able to link this to identity theft of a deceased person, Lt. Steve Brooks reported.
The approximate loss from the LCSO bank account was $1,000 and $1,671 from the deceased person’s credit card.
A search warrant was written on First Premier Bankcard and PG&E, with the information obtained from the LCSO bank statement, Brooks said. However, the credit card company did not honor the search warrant because they are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Major crimes detectives contacted Mennehaha County States Attorney’s Office, who authored a search warrant.
The information from the warrant revealed the person listed as the First Premier Bankcard holder had been dead months prior to the activity taking place, Lt. Brooks said. Detectives were also able to obtain a telephone number associated with the card, which was registered to Brain and Angulo’s 1-year-old son.
Some of the locations where the alleged fraudulent transactions took place were able to provide video surveillance and purchase receipts, verifying Angulo and Brain were responsible for using the dead person’s credit card, according to Brooks.
Based on this information, Major Crimes Unit detectives obtained an arrest warrant.
Angulo was arrested Wednesday when the LCSO served its search warrant and was booked at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility. She faces charges of using bank account information without consent, using another person’s credit card and grand theft. Angulo remains in custody at the Lake County jail on $30,000 bail.
Brain was already in custody at the lake County Jail for a separate weapons charges and a parole violation. He was booked on fresh charges identical to Angulo’s. Brain’s bail was set at $150,000.
If anyone has any information regarding fraudulent dealings with these two individuals, contact Major Crimes Unit detective Shamus Stafford at (707) 262-4231.
