What started as a routine test drive at a San Antonio Cadillac dealership quickly turned into something closer to a pop up fraud factory, according to Bexar County deputies. Two men were arrested after what investigators say was an attempted car purchase that pulled back the curtain on a broader identity theft and mail theft operation in Bexar County. Deputies say they ultimately recovered printers, a credit card manufacturing machine, postal locking mechanisms, a ledger of victims' personal data and other tools they believe were being used to create fake IDs and steal mail, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
According to a post by the , deputies detained a man inside the dealership on Monday after he tried to buy a 2025 Cadillac reportedly priced at $55,045 using a fraudulent ID.
The driver was later identified as 42-year-old Lloyd Marshal Garza, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators added that 23-year-old Jose Roel Avila was also arrested, and that both men were booked into the Bexar County Jail.
When deputies searched the vehicle and followed up with additional searches, they reported finding specialized ID-making paper and multiple fraudulent Texas IDs, five printers, cutting tools, a credit card manufacturing machine, a ledger listing victims' names and Social Security numbers, stolen checks and cards taken from community mailboxes, and several U.S. Postal Service locking mechanisms and mailbox keys, as per the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
Items Seized Suggest Mail And ID Theft Operation
Those items line up with schemes that prosecutors say blend mail theft with document forgery to open credit and buy vehicles in victims' names under Texas fraud statutes. The state's false statement law and fraud provisions explain how "making a materially false or misleading written statement to obtain property or credit" can be elevated to a felony depending on the value involved, and a separate statute criminalizes obtaining or duplicating mailbox keys or locks. See the Texas Penal Code and the Texas Legislature for more on those offenses.
Charges Filed Against Alleged Fraud Duo
The sheriff's office said Garza was arrested on counts including fraudulent possession of identifying information (fewer than five items), forgery of a government document, unlawful conduct with a receptacle key (PC 32.56) and driving while license invalid. Jose Roel Avila was booked on a charge of false statement to obtain property or credit (PC 32.32) along with related forgery and possession counts, the agency added. Those charge listings and booking details were posted by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators identified Jeremy Saunders as the individual who used fraudulent Texas identification and signed the complainant's name to purchase the 2022 Cadillac, and a VIN check returned a Texas license plate, WWT2223, registered to Saunders, investigators said. Authorities ask anyone with information about Saunders' whereabouts to contact the Bexar County tip line at 210-335-6000 or email [email protected].
Federal prosecutors and postal inspectors say mailbox keys, including stolen or counterfeit "arrow" keys that open clusters of blue USPS boxes, are increasingly implicated in large fraud rings and have led to federal prosecutions. The U.S. Department of Justice has highlighted similar cases, and local victims can find guidance on reporting identity theft and recovering credit through the Department of Justice and the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney's identity-theft resources.
The investigation remains active and deputies said they will continue working with local and federal partners as the probe continues. Anyone with tips is encouraged to call the sheriff's office tip line at 210-335-6000.
