February 17,2009
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News: Kudos for Bailey; Credit Card Fraud Slayer.
One model citizen took charge when his family's credit card was bitten for expensive pizza. Out in the west Texas town of Lewisville (or wherever it is), there lives a hero named Brad Bailey. When he became advised by Wells Fargo on Thursday of suspicious activity against his credit card he began to take action. When he was told of two recent pizza charges on his credit card for the amounts of $62 and $70 from Romero's Pizza he was understandably upset.
Bailey's credit card investigation at Romero's became complicated when Romero's informed him the police would have to be involved before they would talk. He didn't waste any time over this and had a police officer on the scene in no time. The information gathered pointed him to a local Motel 6, where the pizza had been delivered. The officer then proceeded to the motel room and there he found, not only a suspect but also, fake credit cards, altered gift cards and the ‘tools to do it'. Altering gift cards is the latest craze in the credit card fraud business because it's so much cheaper than creating your own new cards. Moreover, IDs and PINs are not required by the merchants.
So now, we have 36-year-old Semmie Isaiah Williams in the Denton County slammer and, at least, two other suspects on the lam. Even though stupidity is not a crime, you wonder. Bailey wondered if the thieves would be dumb enough to stay at the same place where they could be easily tracked. They were until the police arrived and now, David Lambert (already on parole) and the mysterious ‘Jessica and pizza-loving friends' are also being sought for questioning. (Jessica had ordered and signed for the pizza.) It was determined that Jessica was still living there (but had conveniently stepped out) and had also been fraudulizing other credit cards as well.
Mr. Bailey shares that: "There may be as many as 15 to 20 victims, once this is all played out. One of the guys had just gotten out of jail for the same crime and the other had two warrants out for his arrest for credit card fraud." The illicit tools are confiscated, one man in jail, police are hot on the trail for the rest (they even called Jessica's cell phone and told her so). Meanwhile, our hero, Brad Bailey can get on with his life. Not bad for an hour-and-a-half worth of work. Jessica may get a different kind of ‘cell' phone as well.