Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division is on the lookout for additional victims of a check forgery ring that has been targeting check-cashing businesses in Jefferson Park and Hyde Park. The LAPD has arrested one suspect and is currently seeking a second in connection with a series of forgeries that have resulted in losses totaling $10,000.
The investigation was sparked on February 19, 2025, when two individuals attempted to pass forged checks at a business on West Boulevard. The clerk was quick to detect the counterfeit nature of the checks and contacted the authorities, leading to the apprehension of 45-year-old Gabriel Garcia Sevilla. Despite efforts to detain both individuals, the second suspect managed to swiftly flee before police arrived. Detectives have since been able to positively identify this second suspect as 42-year-old Rafael Gomez Zepeda of Los Angeles, having used aliases "Juan Nabarro" and "Raul Medina" to perpetrate their crimes. An arrest warrant is reportedly pending for Zepeda.
According to LAPD's newsroom release, the forgery operations by Garcia and Zepeda spanned from November 7, 2024, to February 19, 2025. A video capturing the February incident has been made available online for public viewing, providing potential leads and assisting with the identification of the as-yet-unapprehended Zepeda.
The LAPD is urging anyone with information to step forward. Detective Juan Campos of the Commercial Crimes Division can be directly contacted at 213-486-5995 or via email at [email protected]. Tips can also be anonymously provided through the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477), or by using the "P3 Tips" mobile application, and selecting the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as the local program.
Images of both suspects, Gabriel Garcia Sevilla and Rafael Gomez Zepeda, have been released and are available through the LAPD newsroom link.
