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Fraud
March 1, 2012
Hays sheriff's officers say they've nabbed a professional con man
The Hays County sheriff’s office announced today that detectives have arrested a San Marcos man suspected of being “a professional con man.”
Larry “Jake” Jacobsen, 62, was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, tampering with government records, stealing between $1,500 and $20,000 and making a false statement to obtain property or credit, according to the sheriff’s office.
All are state jail felonies except the latter, which is a third-degree felony, Deputy Jeffrey Jordan said. Jacobsen, who was arrested Wednesday, is being held in the Hays County Jail on bail totaling $140,000.
The investigation started after several local businesses reported that Jacobsen was acting suspiciously, officials said. Jordan would not elaborate. Investigators have identified “numerous victims and numerous offenses” in Hays County along with other fraudulent offenses in Oregon, Idaho, Arizona and Texas, according to the sheriff’s office. The U.S. Secret Service assisted in the investigation, which Jordan said started more than a year ago and is continuing.
November 28, 2011
Bowling alley employee added unauthorized tips to bills, police said
A man who worked for a Georgetown bowling alley has been charged with credit card abuse after an investigation found he had been adding unauthorized tips to bowlers’ bills, an arrest affidavit said.
The inquiry began at Mel’s Lonestar Lanes at 1010 N. Austin Ave. in Georgetown after a customer complained that a tip she had not authorized in September was added to her bill.
An investigation by the management found that John Michael Lugar Jr. added an unauthorized tip of $10 to the customer’s bill, the affidavit said.
The investigation of all the receipts for customers Lugar served for August and September found 64 credit card transactions in which there was a difference between the amount a customer left as a tip and the amount that was charged to the credit card, the affidavit said.
August 19, 2010
Man charged with credit card abuse at Cabela's
FROM THE HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE:
On 8-14-10, Detective Angelo Floiran of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division was contacted by Cabela’s Asset Protection about a possible ongoing fraud that was occurring at their store located at 15570 IH 35 in Buda. They had received a phone call from a victim in Rutherford, New Jersey advising them that his credit card was being used at the Cabela’s store and that neither he nor his wife had been at Cabela’s nor had any purchases been authorized by them.
Cabela’s Asset Protection was able to track the purchases and located video of the suspect as well as a suspect vehicle in this case. This was provided to Detective Floiran and on 8-17-10, at approximately 5pm, Cabela’s called Floiran to report that the suspect was back in the store and again using a fraudulent credit card. She, along with a male suspect were detained by Cabela’s Asset Protection Officers. Floiran along with detective Kelly Woodard and Hays County patrol deputies responded to Cabela’s and after viewing evidence provided by Cabela’s arrested both suspects. They were found to be in possession of several other questionable credit cards.
Arrested and charged with Credit Card Abuse, a state jail felony, were Edgar Zandate wm 1-18-80, who remains in jail on a $5,000.00 bond and Olga Alfonso, wf 1-10-79, who remains in jail on a $10,000.00 bond. Both suspects gave an address in Pflugerville, Texas.
Detectives Floiran and Woodard later executed a search warrant at the suspects address in Pflugerville and recovered a number of items that they believe were bought with the fraudulent use of credit cards.
