Calcasieu Deputies have arrested a Sulphur man for his alleged involvement in numerous cases of theft and fraud.
According to a spokesperson, 28-year-old Colby Richard stole mail out of residential mailboxes in the Lake Charles and Sulphur areas in an attempt to locate checks, money orders, or credit and debit cards, beginning in July.
Investigators learned Richard would alter and forge the checks he found and make a mobile deposit in order to receive the money, and would also fraudulently open accounts in numerous victims' names and used those accounts to redeem the altered checks, the spokesperson said.
When detectives made contact with Richard on September 1, he presented them with an ID card belonging to one of the victims, CPSO said.
He was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with 16 counts of forgery, 16 counts of bank fraud, 4 counts of identity theft less than $300, 2 counts of identity theft $300 - $500, 6 counts of identity theft $600 or more, and resisting an officer by refusal to ID. His total bond has been set at $183,000.
Investigations are ongoing and more charges are pending. Detectives have currently identified 23 victims and are working to identify more than 25 additional victims. Investigators say they believe the victims either knew Richard or one of his acquaintances.
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