Hollister police arrested four suspected leaders of an identity
theft operation in Hollister Tuesday after a six-month
investigation into a dozen of check fraud and forgery cases
reported last October.
Hollister – Hollister police arrested four suspected leaders of an identity theft operation in Hollister Tuesday after a six-month investigation into a dozen of check fraud and forgery cases reported last October.
Police arrested Cynthia Honholt-Johns, Stephen Johns, Danielle Chuss and a 17-year-old Hollister male on a variety of felony fraud, theft and conspiracy charges after serving search warrants on two Hollister homes in the 800 block of Nash Road Tuesday morning, said Capt. Richard Vasquez. Two other Hollister residents were also arrested during the search on unrelated drug charges.
Vasquez said the group was stealing checks from unsuspecting victims, making their own checks and opening bank accounts under false names. The accounts would later be used to write checks they knew would bounce, Vasquez said.
Police believe Honholt-Johns, Johns and Chuss were the principal players in the identity theft ring and suspect the three engaged in similar crimes in neighboring cities and counties, Vasquez said. Detectives are still investigating the group’s activities in Hollister and are working with their counterparts in other jurisdictions and agents from California State Parole to determine the extent of the operation.
“Identity theft is a growing problem all over country and Hollister is just as susceptible as other communities,” Vasquez said Wednesday. “This was a signification bust. It took a lot of man-hours and lot of good work by detectives and officers.”
Vasquez said the investigation grew from the 12 reported cases of check fraud and forgery last October, but said he did not know the total number of cases linked to the operation. Although two people were arrested on drug charges during the search, Vasquez said he did not know if the operation was linked to drug use or sales.
Vasquez said he did not know how much money was involved or the number of victims in the case.
“It’s too early to tell,” he said. “The investigation is not over. We’re still working on this and searching for other victims.”
Police are encouraging Hollister residents to be cautious about revealing personal financial information and watch what they throw out in the garbage to avoid becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft.
“Be careful about who you give personal information to and make sure you shred all bank statements and financial documents,” Vasquez said. “It’s better to error on the side of caution.”
Honholt-Johns, Johns and Chuss are being held at the San Benito County Jail. If convicted of a single count of felony conspiracy to commit burglary or theft, they could each face up to six years in prison.
Anyone with information on the case can contact detective Rudy Rodriguez at 831-636-4330.
