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Posted by: kwflatbed

By Kenneth Dean
The Tyler Morning Telegraph

TYLER, Texas — When a Smith County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over Curtis Zane Anderson earlier this week, it was for speeding. But when the man handed the deputy two different identifications with his picture and different names on them, speeding became least of his problems. The items in the truck led deputies to the second large identity theft bust in Smith County this month.
Lt. Larry Wiginton said Anderson, 33, of Mesquite was pulled over Monday about 3 a.m. as he was traveling east on Interstate 20.
“He was driving a U-haul box truck and was driving over the speed limit, so deputy Shawn Pardazi, an Interstate Interdiction officer, pulled him over,” he said.
Wiginton said Pardazi noticed that Anderson became nervous, and when he asked for identification he was handed two different IDs with different names.
“They both had Anderson’s picture but different names, so he was placed under arrest for fraudulent use/possession of identifying information and transported to the Smith County Jail,” he said.
Wiginton said detectives obtained a search warrant for the U-haul and began looking at the contents of the truck.
What they found inside included a commercial computer laminating machine, boxes of books of counterfeit checks, digital processors, camcorders, multiple identifications and page after page of Social Security numbers and documents with names.
“Most of the Social Security numbers seem to be of postal workers in the Dallas area, and it remains unclear at this time how the suspect obtained them,” he said.
Wiginton said Anderson has not told detectives where he was traveling to when he was stopped, nor is he cooperating in any other way.
“He isn’t talking to us,” he said.
Wiginton said Anderson has been charged with three additional counts of fraudulent use/possession of identifying information and may face unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and other felony charges.
“We are still investigating and trying to learn who all may have been affected by his crimes, but we believe he may have used some of the identities to gain credit and property,” he said.
Wiginton said Anderson had used a heat gun found in the U-Haul to remove the decals on one side of the truck and had leased the vehicle using fake identification.
“We are working with U-Haul representatives to see how they want to handle the truck situation,” he said.
Wiginton said it was unknown if any of Anderson’s victims were from the East Texas area.
Anderson remains in the Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $125,000.
Earlier this month, sheriff deputies arrested 27-year-old Lucas George Cates, a career criminal, who had more than 400 credit card numbers in his possession when arrested.
Sheriff officials said Cates was driving a vehicle equipped with police lights and he had handcuffs, clothing with the identifying marks of a law enforcement agency and other police items such as a radio that was hardwired into the dashboard.
He remains jailed on bonds totaling $214,000 and a Wood County hold.
Wiginton said both arrests were the result of deputies doing good police work.
“These cases show the professionalism of our deputies in apprehending criminals on traffic stops,” he said.



Wire Service

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