In a bust straight out of a crime drama, San Bernardino County Sheriff's detectives have taken down a duo in Crestline, California, on charges hinting at a sordid tale of stolen identities and fake checks. According to a statement by the Sheriff-Coroner Department, 23-year-old local Ashley Dunkin and Casey Bennett, 32, of San Diego, were collared Wednesday after a pinpoint investigation pointed to them as the crafty suspects pilfering personal information.
Digging deep into the spate of identity theft reports in the area, the authorities, led by the Twin Peaks Station, hit the jackpot at a Crestline residence storing a treasure trove of stolen mail, identities, and fraudulent financial instruments; this came after weeks of peeling back the layers of what seems to have been a diligently executed operation by Dunkin and Bennett, who were believed to have been plotting together, and they were caught with a stash of tools used for their illicit trade when the Sheriff's personnel came knocking with a search warrant.
The nabbed suspects were booked at Central Detention Center with bail set at a cool $30,000 facing a three-count felony charge sheet that includes conspiracy, check fraud, and theft by false pretenses.
While Dunkin and Bennett now face the music behind bars, the long arm of the law continues to reach out for community assistance any tipsters with additional insights into the network of deceit are urged to dial up Detective D. Garcia or Deputy O. Romero-Rios at the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station, where the case number 052400085 hangs over what remains an open investigation you can also slip an anonymous clue to the We-Tip Hotline or drop a line at their website for those who prefer to stay out of the spotlight.
