State charges trio in ID theft scheme that targeted Bay Area counties

California leaders filed felony charges against three men Friday for their involvement in a ID theft scheme that took place across several Bay Area counties The scheme involved persons applying for store credit cards using stolen identities then using those credit lines to purchase merchandise with no intention of paying them off according to a press release from Attorney General Rob Bonta s office A -count felony complaint was filed against the trio on charges including organized retail theft grand theft and identity theft of casualties The theft was carried out in Alameda San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and also in Los Angeles Orange San Bernardino and Riverside counties Related Articles Man sentenced in murder occurrence after concerns of political meddling by former DA Pamela Price San Jose Two arrested in separate graffiti cases police say Father of Baby Phoenix who died of fentanyl overdose wants felony dropped mental strength initiative instead California judge who shot and killed his wife convicted of murder Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal murder charge in killing of UnitedHealthcare s CEO I am committed to using the full force of the California Department of Justice to fight organized retail crime both in the field and in the courtroom Bonta stated in the release This was not a one-off shoplifting offense it was a malicious coordinated scheme These crimes hurt our businesses and pose a serious threat to our communities I am thankful to Signet Jewelers as well as our local and state law enforcement partners for their collaboration in the battle against organized retail crime We will not give up until we put a stop to this criminal activity all together Between March and July the men fraudulently obtained more than worth of merchandise from high-end retail stores and Harbor Freight retailers The inquiry stemmed from a referral from a Signet Jeweler s corporate fraud investigator and was led by the California Department of Justice with collaboration form Homeland Precaution Investigations the Santa Maria Police Department the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department California Highway Patrol and the Westminster Police Department