ID Theft Bust

STANWOOD - Until Monday, a suspected thief held hundreds of people's identities hostage in a Stanwood travel trailer. The identities came from Washington and Canada and as far away as the Netherlands. They belonged to about 300 people, and if they've been used, the victims likely will spend countless months salvaging their financial futures. Now, the identities are sealed in police envelopes: driver's licenses, credit cards, passports and Social Security cards. "This was definitely a good day for the victims. We're going to return a lot of important paperwork back to the innocent," said Snohomish County sheriff's Sgt. Tony Aston. >> read article
Search Warrant

Deputy Adam Malaby, Detective Bud McCurry, Deputy Joe Dunn and Sgt Tony Aston of the Snohomish County Sheriff's office take position on a forced entry. When arriving to the suspected property with a search warrant it is not unusual to find squatters tweaking and hiding in cars, sheds, trailers, homes and trees. After staging and then arriving to the suspects property in a matter of seconds a sweep is taken to assess occupancy of potential hide outs while all exits are covered and each and every officer is being covered and protected by a secondary team.
Not in our neighborhoods!

Susan York and Sgt Tony Aston discuss the force of showing up to a suspect's property with code enforcement, Wa state patrol, department of corrections, Snohomish regional drug task force, CPS, three different law enforcement agencies and medics. Inter agency partnership is the key. Neighbors drove by applauding the presence of Law Enforcement and shared their nightmare of living next to this property.
Don't Meth Around
Lead On America's Travis Talbot, Susan York and Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and middle school students prior to the "Don't Meth Around" prevention and education presentation. These middle school student leaders were on a mission to bring education to their classmates. They arranged to have the half hour presentation on their own. Many of these students did reports on the assembly, it was clear that these incredible kids got the message and had moved farther away from even being tempted by the lure of illegal drugs.
Ready, Set Go!
Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis and Travis Talbot share a laugh during the Snohomish County Youth Meth summit shortly before over 1300 youth will submerge to go to their next workshop. Many volunteers help to make this bigger each and every year with the Youth in full leadership control.
Fox Network
Travis Talbot and Susan York on the fox news network set. After local komo 4 news reporter Michelle Esteban did a story on Susan, calls from across the nation began to pour in. Since November Lead On America has made four trips across the nation giving hope to other communities in their fight against illegal drug homes that set up camp in their neighborhoods. To date, Lead On America has gone into 43 neighborhoods with 39 drug homes being successfully shut down.
Days End
Susan takes a dinner break with some of the very same deputies that seven years ago were called in to protect her neighborhood during their 855 day nightmare. "Remember when we did not have this incredible plan and where we have landed today is often the conversation followed by, who would have thought?"

Deputy Chitwood was Susan's first law enforcement contact today working with him on this side of the fence, seven years later proves to be rewarding and on going. (from left - Susan York, Deputy Joe Dunn, Sgt Rick Hawkins, Deputy Dave Chitwood, and Detective Bud McCurry)
ID Theft Bust

STANWOOD - Until Monday, a suspected thief held hundreds of people's identities hostage in a Stanwood travel trailer. The identities came from Washington and Canada and as far away as the Netherlands. They belonged to about 300 people, and if they've been used, the victims likely will spend countless months salvaging their financial futures. Now, the identities are sealed in police envelopes: driver's licenses, credit cards, passports and Social Security cards. "This was definitely a good day for the victims. We're going to return a lot of important paperwork back to the innocent," said Snohomish County sheriff's Sgt. Tony Aston.

Monday's bust unraveled one of hundreds of identity theft operations that have lawmakers, police agencies and prosecutors taking a tougher look at the popular and increasingly sophisticated crime. "It is the crime of our decade. I think it's the crime most people are worried about, and should be. No one is safe," said Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Halley Hupp.

State Attorney General Rob McKenna plans to make identity theft a top priority for the next legislative session, pushing for state lawmakers to pass measures to protect consumers, attorney general spokeswoman Kristin Alexander said. Washington ranks seventh-highest in the nation per capita for reported identity thefts, according to the Federal Trade Commission. "Washington state has a substantial problem, whatever the reason. It's a problem that has to be addressed. It's growing and festering. It isn't the crime of the month. It's the crime of the future," Alexander said.
Washington already has some of the toughest laws on the books. Monday's arrest in Stanwood comes a little more than a week before a new law will take effect that could mean more time behind bars for identity thieves. The law, which goes into effect Wednesday, elevates identity theft from a property crime to a crime against a person. That's the same category that covers murder, rape, assault and robbery.

It won't change how much jail time a judge can impose. But the law will make it more difficult for identity thieves to have time slashed from their sentences for good behavior. They also will face mandatory supervision after they're released. "I think the most important thing is they will be monitored after jail. Identity theft is easily picked up after jail time," Hupp said. It also means that prosecutors are more likely to file charges, said Joan Cavagnaro, Snohomish County chief criminal deputy prosecutor. The man arrested Monday was being sought on an arrest warrant for driving with a suspended license. When the man spotted the officers, he holed up in a travel trailer where he'd been living. Twenty minutes later, he was in handcuffs and the deputies spied some suspicious computers, Aston said. As the deputies waited for detectives and a search warrant, they spotted smoke coming from the trailer. Someone was trying to burn dozens of backpacks and briefcases stuffed with stolen credit cards, driver's licenses, Social Security cards and passports.

Deputies snuffed out the fire before it spread, Aston said. It is not clear who set the fire.
Deputies also found a couple computers set up to make bogus checks. It's not clear where the man got all the documents. They likely were stolen from people's mailboxes and vehicles, he said. More people are expected to be arrested in connection with the scam. Detectives weren't sure how much of the information was used or how much money was lost. They are convinced the bust is tied to a bigger problem. "I think identity theft goes hand in hand with the drug problem," Sheriff Rick Bart said. "It's also computers and the availability of our personal information." Bart said he believes the solution to curbing the crime is coming up with a better way to protect consumers from having their information stolen. People used to steal checks, wash them and forge them. Now, crooks are stealing financial information online, out of mailboxes or at the local auditor's office and making up their own checks, Bart said. "It's so damaging, and by the time you find out, it's a nightmare," he said.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@ heraldnet.com.
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