WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A man who was arrested in Leon County is now facing additional charges after stealing checks and credit card offers from mailboxes in various local counties.
Derek Thomas, 29, is facing various financial charges in Wakulla County.
On Sept. 11, a victim who used to live on Smith Creek Road reported several credit cards had been opened in his name without his consent. He told deputies that a couple days before, he started getting credit card alerts saying he was overdrawn on a couple of accounts he hadn't opened.
The victim was able to provide information on two credit card accounts. Deputies said seven charges had been made on one of the accounts in August.
On Sept. 13, a second victim who lived on Smith Creek Road reported her bank returned a check she had written to another bank for $250 after it was rejected because someone else tried to deposit it using a mobile app.
Deputies said the check had been altered and the payee was illegible. She said she put the check in her mailbox and thought it had been picked up by the mail carrier.
In November, a third victim who lived on Old Shell Point Road said she received a phone call from her bank saying that a check she made out to her husband for $2,180 had been altered and cashed. She said the check and a Amazon package valued around $34 was also taken from her mailbox.
Detectives learned that someone had also stolen mail from residential mailboxes located on Smith Creek Road from Sopchoppy to Lake Talquin.
Eventually, deputies were able to connect Thomas to all of the mailbox thefts. Detectives later Thomas at the Leon County Detention Center, where he was already incarcerated for other crimes related to bank fraud.
On Wednesday, arrest warrants were obtained charging Thomas with 11 counts of various financial crimes.
Since Thomas was already incarcerated in the Leon County Detention Center, a hold was placed on him to face the charges in Wakulla County.
Tallahassee man arrested for cashing counterfeited checks
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested for cashing counterfeited checks he stole from two elderly victims.
Derek Kenneth Thomas, 29, was booked into jail Thursday for fraudulently using personal identification concerning the victims without obtaining their consent.
Thomas committed the illegal acts between Oct. 16 and Oct. 24, according to a complaint.
He was first arrested on Nov. 19 on warrants concerning the checks cashed at First Commerce Credit Union. At that time, the probable cause affidavit said, Thomas gave false information as to his identity.
The checks were written on a joint account held by two elderly individuals.
One victim said he ordered the checks and used his home address for them to be delivered there but the checks never arrived. That victim said he the found out that two checks from the missing checks were cashed at a Florida Commerce Credit Union location.
A $500 check was cashed on Oct. 16, for "roof," and another $500 check was cashed on Oct. 24 for "work."
Neither victim gave permission for anyone to write or possess their checks.
Thomas was eventually taken into custody on Thursday and, as of Friday, remains in the Leon County Detention Center on a $37,500 bond.
He faces several charges:
- possession of controlled substance without prescription,
- fraud/impersonation using identification of a person younger 18 years or younger or 60 years or older without consent (2 counts),
- fraud/swindling a financial institution
- counterfeiting pay instrument (2 counts)
- passing a counterfeited instrument (2 counts)
- grand theft of $300 or more but less than $5,000
- fraud/swindling to obtain property valued under $2,000
