SIOUX CITY, S.D.—Two California residents have been arrested here after being caught attempting to defraud at least three local credit unions, according to authorities.
Arrested were Michael Thomas, 45, of Stockton, Calif., who has been charged with five counts of forgery, five counts of identity theft and one count of ongoing criminal conduct, and Thomas Lopp, 53, also of Stockton, who was arrested on four counts of forgery and one count of ongoing criminal conduct.
Police said that Thomas entered Municipal Credit Union and presented a driver's license and credit card and asked for a $9,800 cash advance. Both the driver's license and credit card were professional-quality fakes, according to police. But the transaction was halted because Thomas had attempted a similar transaction a week earlier. Thomas was arrested, and Lopp was stopped about a block away. Police found Thomas in possession of three other fake driver's licenses and credit cards with matching names, the complaint said.
Police said a search of the vehicle discovered maps showing credit unions throughout Iowa. Police said they had also learned that Thomas and Lopp had flown from California to the Midwest and rented a car, then gone to banks and credit unions attempting to get cash advances using the fake identification and credit cards. They had done this more than 100 times in Iowa in the past three weeks, according to court documents.
Police said that when Thomas or Lopp would present the credit card, a bank/CU employee would call the number on the back of the card and another person in the criminal organization would answer, providing the necessary information for the bank to approve the transaction. The bank/credit union would only discover the credit card was fake when it was not reimbursed by the credit card company.
According to police, Thomas and Lopp also visited the Midwest Community Credit Union and Telco Triad Community Credit Union and attempted to get advances.