Thread: Police Arrest Man In Lodi For Identity Theft

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― A man went from border crossing to being behind bars. Police say the man from Honduras snuck into the United States and then started stealing the identities. He had victims all across the U.S.


On man had his identity ripped off three times and now it has happened again. The suspect had been deported and came back to the U.S. illegally. Police found a computer disc with thousands of victims on it. They don't know where he got it from or exactly what it was used for but, he might have sold the contents.

They think the information came from some sort of financial institution. Officials are currently trying to contact everyone on the list and make sure their identities have not been compromised

http://cbs13.com/local/identity.thef....2.627565.html

here are more details on the story, I also liked some of the comments so I included them:

A man who was deported from the United States after numerous drug convictions is now in the Lodi jail, accused of sneaking back into the country and stealing the identities of about 100 people.


Jamal Kharufa

Jamal Kharufa, 33, was arrested on Wednesday morning in the 200 block of Flora Street after detectives tracked an identity theft report to him, said Lodi Police spokesman Officer Dale Eubanks.

Officers had to call a locksmith because Kharufa and two other men refused to open the door, Eubanks said. Kharufa and two residents at the home were arrested without further incident, Eubanks said.

Robert Garcia, 49, and Manuel Machado, 34, were jailed on suspicion of harboring a felon and obstructing police.

Investigators found a computer and a backpack full of documents in Kharufa's possession. Detectives also seized hand-written ledgers of bank account, Social Security and credit card numbers, Eubanks said.


Manuel Machado

Now detectives are trying to track down the victims, who are scattered across the country. The victims may not even know their identity has been compromised, Eubanks said.

Kharufa is being held in the city jail and is expected to appear this week in Lodi court, but federal prosecutors may also be interested in the case, due to the allegations and his previous record.

Kharufa, who is originally from the Middle East but is a Honduras citizen, has a lengthy rap sheet of narcotics offenses, Eubanks said. After he was paroled from a California prison, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Kharufa to Honduras.

But Kharufa apparently made his way back into the U.S.


Robert Garcia

Lodi police got a report about identity theft and linked it to Kharufa, whom they believe was selling identities, Eubanks said. Many of the victims have not yet been contacted, but one is a relative of a Lodi police lieutenant.

Identity theft reports have drastically increased in recent years, and it generally takes victims about two years to clear their names.

"Everyone from time to time should check their credit history to see if it's been tampered with or see who's been looking at it," Eubanks said.

Sometimes people don't know they've become victims until they get notices of foreclosure on property they didn't even know was in their name. Sometimes victims learn of the fraud when they start getting collection notices and find themselves having to deal separately with each bank and lender.

For information on preventing identity theft and how to get a copy of your credit report, go to http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.
Reader Feedback

Giovanina wrote on Jan 12, 2008 10:33 AM:
" This guy is involved with the drug trade, and a Middle Easterner, from Honduras? How do you think the terrorist groups get their money? Through drug sales. They better dig deep on this investigation, and he should get racketeering as part of his crime, and a life sentence. "

Report Abuse

Lodian wrote on Jan 11, 2008 4:12 PM:
" Taxpayer & Citizen: Is Cottage Bakery open for business? "

Report Abuse

4586 wrote on Jan 11, 2008 9:39 AM:
" I'm glad thay are no longer doing this. I truly believe that if all the illegals in california would go back, And you know what there would be more jobs for people & unemployment would be much lower. Stockton & Lodi do have alot of illegals, Just check Fence companys.People stand up & take pride that you are legal. "

Report Abuse

Oh Bull ! wrote on Jan 11, 2008 9:05 AM:
" Hey why don't all of you read the complete article and worry about more than illegals.What about the police calling a Locksmith(what a joke) another waste of taxpers money need less to say they involved a harmless citizen to open the door maybe these guys had stolen all those guns and were waiting on the other side. They should have just broken the door down the old school way. Hum ! maybe that is why we have so much petty crime in lodi the police need to step it up and get ruff with these idots.So that they see the police are serious. "

Report Abuse

dogbark wrote on Jan 10, 2008 10:32 PM:
" Hey, myownwmn, look at the mug shots above. None of them actually look stereotypically Hispanic. "

Report Abuse

Taxpayer & Citizen wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:45 PM:
" Is that how all these Pakistanis made it to Lodi, myownwmn? "

Report Abuse

myownwmn wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:21 PM:
" i live in el paso texas and witness first hand the abuse of our borders. i go back and forth to juarez often and can tell you without a doubt that thousands of people come across and it is impossible to tell a hispanic from a person of middle eastern decent. i know because my husband is hispanic and after 911 he was verbally acosted by people who thought he was iraqi or iranian. there are several different countries who actively send their people to juarez to learn the spanish culture and language. wake up people! we here on the border know the real deal... "

Report Abuse

Taxpayer & Citizen wrote on Jan 10, 2008 6:59 PM:
" How about an SS# check of those employees at Cottage Bakery, the plastics plants and Wine&Roses? "

Report Abuse

Audi 5000 wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:20 PM:
" Those meth'ed-out guys riding bicycles and rummaging through garbage cans are looking for much more than food and plastic bottles to recycle. Shred everything. "

Report Abuse

Tiger_Fan wrote on Jan 10, 2008 2:02 PM:
" Wow! A middle eastern man, who illegally transited into the United States via HONDURAS!

Isn't this what some conservative talk radio hosts have been warning about for YEARS? That middle eastern men will pose as latin american men and get into the country illegally?

CLOSE THE BORDER NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! "

Report Abuse

carlos wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:31 AM:
" I'm happy to see LPD going after an identity theft suspect. Good job LPD and thank-you! "

Report Abuse

LODIJOE wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:34 AM:
" Everyone knows we rich Americans have more than we need so these poor illegal aliens think it is ok to help themsleves to whatever they want. Somehow they feel we owe it to them. CLOSE the borders NOW. "

Report Abuse

Lucius wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:31 AM:
" Taxpayer & Citizen, I agree. T&C wanna be, go bury your head in the sand. "

Report Abuse

Taxpayer & Citizen wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:17 AM:
" t & c, maybe you ought to go make a citizens' arrest! "

Report Abuse

Mad Dog wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:28 AM:
" This bozo...oops...I mean alledged suspect, is just a poor immigrant who is here trying to make a new life for himself. He is just trying to earn money the old fashioned way....by stealing it! "

Report Abuse

T & C wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:23 AM:
" " Hey! Here's a great question! The small travel trailer across from Lawrence park, you know the one parked on the dirt near the Billboard with the bicycles parked beside it! Are homeless people allowed to squat and live there without electricity and water! The same question is asked of the goldish volkswagon van that squats on that property? " "

Report Abuse

T & C wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:20 AM:
" You think deporting illegals, oh I meant..."Undocumented Workers" will keep the criminals from across the border from coming back? They see us as nothing but "SHEEP TO BE FLEECED"! And if Hillary is elected, you can bet your "Life and all your possessions" the borders will not be strengthened! "

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2008/0 ... 080110.txt

I lived in Lodi for a few years, it seemed such a quiet place, now it looks like it is terrorist and illegal central