Recent arrest points out ID theft dangers
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP news@leader-news.com

It's said to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation. And it's one that does not discriminate against age, race or gender.

A recent case of identity theft against Wharton notable Merrell "Doc" Barfield only proves the point that this type of crime is as damaging as it is pervasive, said Detective Don Falks of the Wharton Police Department.

Falks was finally able to track down the alleged culprit and arrest him late last month - nearly a year after the investigation began.

"Identity theft is a time consuming, labor intensive investigation that's devastating to the victim," Falks said.

In Barfield's case, the crime resulted in tens of thousands of dollars unknowingly charged to him. Falks said the Wharton resident did not become aware of the situation until he started receiving calls from collection agencies in early 2007.

Follow-up notices were received in the mail also, notifying Barfield that he was outstanding on numerous credit card charges.

Barfield eventually contacted Wharton police and filed a report for identity theft. The case was initially assigned to Detective Joey Galloway, who discovered that a CitiBank credit card had been opened using Barfield's social security number and the name, "Raymundo Euan," according to Falks. Over 250 charges were listed, totaling over $20,000.

The credit card statements disclosed that the card was used repeatedly at a single location in the Woodlands area.

Galloway resigned late last year to return to Iraq as part of a security force, and the case was reassigned to Falks in February. Falks contacted the businesses where the card had been used and obtained information about the customer who was using the card.

The businesses had been given different dates of birth, Falks said, and the signatures on the receipts "were illegible and didn't match each other. These were just scribbles."

Falks ran variations of the name with the provided birth dates through the National Crime Information Center, and discovered a Raymundo Jose Evan-Canto, a Mexican national who holds a permanent resident alien card in the U.S.

Falks retrieved the man's photo from the the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which also informed the detective that the man had a prior criminal record.

Using the photo, Falks said he contacted Woodlands area businesses and was able to get confirmation that this man was indeed the one who had been using the credit card obtained with Barfield's social security number.

With warrants in hand, police prepared to arrest the man at his listed residence in the Woodlands. But there was a problem.

"It turns out it was a UPS store," Falks said. A second lead - obtained from an address used to obtain a postal box - ended in a similar fashion, as police discovered a fictitious address.

Not willing to give up, Falks began scouring tax records in Montgomery County. He turned up a J.R. Euan near the Woodlands. Montgomery County Deputy David Everton checked that address and found a $180,000, two-story home in an upscale neighborhood.

No one was home, however. Neighbors told police they had last seen the homeowner about one week before. But he apparently got the message anyway. Falks said the man - identified as Raymundo Jose Euan-Canto, 56, of Spring - turned himself in to the Wharton Police Department on Feb. 25.

He was booked into Wharton County Jail on five counts of fraud that same day. He was later released after posting bond.

Falks said the incident is a wake-up call for area residents, proving that such crimes are not just big city problems. He urged residents to watch credit card statements, credit reports and bank account statements closely.

He said damage - sometimes irreparable - can be done with an individual's name, date of birth or social security number.

"Even if you are just suspicious of being a victim of identity theft, call us right away and get this stopped before it really gets started," Falks said. "It's not a matter of if you are going to be a victim of identity theft, it's a matter of when."