Jacksonville men found with fake IDs at Orange Park BJ’s suspected of fraud

3 years ago 222

BJ's Wholesale Club successful Orange Park.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Two Jacksonville men who were arrested successful Orange Park had 16 counterfeit driver’s licenses and 14 counterfeit checks, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office said the men got caught aft 1 of them mislaid his wallet wrong the BJ’s Wholesale Club connected Blanding Boulevard.

It was astatine the BJ’s store wherever investigators accidental a 45-year-old Jacksonville antheral utilized a counterfeit driver’s licence to unfastened up a BJ’s account, but near the store not realizing helium mislaid his wallet.

Store employees who recovered the wallet looked wrong lone to observe further counterfeit driver’s licenses with the aforesaid representation but antithetic names, the Sheriff’s Office said. Employees took photocopies of the IDs earlier the antheral returned to the store looking for his wallet.

Investigators said erstwhile helium got his wallet back, helium near and past returned to the store to unfastened an further BJ’s relationship with yet different fake driver’s license. But this clip a lawman was waiting for him and took him into custody aft uncovering adjacent much counterfeit driver’s licenses.

The lawman besides arrested a 30-year-old antheral who was sitting successful a car extracurricular for allegedly possessing six counterfeit driver’s licenses. In all, 16 fake licenses were confiscated.

News4Jax transgression and information adept Ken Jefferson said quick-thinking employees led authorities to this counterfeit scheme.

“The employees astatine BJ’s did an outstanding occupation due to the fact that they smelled a rat,” Jefferson said.

One antheral confessed to utilizing the fake IDs to marque counterfeit checks which were besides confiscated, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and the different antheral confessed to producing and utilizing the fake IDs.

“It was an elaborate scheme. Just deliberation if helium had transferred that antagonistic transgression vigor into thing positive. He could beryllium a palmy idiosyncratic successful nine but present helium has to spell to jail,” Jefferson said.

Court records amusement that backmost successful 2013, 1 of the men was convicted of unemployment compensation fraud successful Duval County. Between 2000 and 2006, helium was convicted connected aggregate charges of fraud, counterfeiting and theft successful Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

This existent lawsuit could impact 16 victims who person nary thought their names were attached to counterfeit operator licenses.