Full Notification

On July 18, 2012, deputies assigned to the Summer Violent Crime Enforcement team at the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station contacted a male passenger during a traffic stop. During the investigation, they discovered the male, Nicholas Chayette 29 years, was on formal probation for drug possession and forgery. The suspect had search conditions as part of his probationary status. During a search the deputies found the suspect was in possession of a controlled substance. They also discovered several credit cards which appeared to be fraudulent. The suspect also had a small data disc with the fraudulent credit cards. It was later discovered the disc contained over one thousand electronic files containing personal information of several hundred people. The information included names, birthdates, social security numbers, credit card numbers, PIN numbers and various other personal information. This type of data is oftentimes used to commit identity theft. The suspect was held in custody on several felony charges.

According to the FBI, Identity Theft costs American businesses and consumers a reported $50 billion a year and causes untold headaches for an estimated 10 million U.S. victims annually. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind everyone to keep a close eye on their credit and personal profile information. If you suspect you have been the victim of identity theft, contact your local Sheriff’s station to request a crime report. For more information on what to do if you believe you are the victim of identity theft, visit the LASD website at http://www.lasdhq.org/sites/CCB_Internet/identity_theft.htm.