South Bay Man Accused Of Stealing Over $80,000 In Checks
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies arrested a man Sunday on suspicion of numerous offenses, including identity theft, after he was found with more than $80,000 in stolen checks.
According to the sheriff's office, a sergeant pulled over a suspect at about 3:50 a.m. on Kirkmont Drive and Saratoga Sunnyvale Road in Saratoga.
The suspect initially stopped, but then tried to recklessly evade the sergeant by driving through a resident's front yard. He also allegedly ran several stop signs while speeding, sheriff's officials said.
The suspect eventually lost control of the vehicle, which struck a curb during the pursuit and became disabled, sheriff's officials said.
The suspect, identified as Justin Rucker, was allegedly in possession of a crowbar, nylon and Halloween masks. He also had numerous stolen items, including mail from residences in San Jose, Saratoga and Los Gatos, credit cards and checks that were altered, blank or uncashed, sheriff's officials said.
After sorting through the evidence, deputies determined that there were more than 130 victims and over $80,000 in seized checks.
Rucker was arrested on suspicion of evading law enforcement, identity theft, mail theft, and possessing stolen property, burglary tools and altered checks. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail, sheriff's officials said.
All of the recovered mail was returned to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which will contact all identified victims in the case.
Sheriff's officials encourage any residents who believe they may have been a victim of mail or identity theft to call (408) 299-2311.
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