Arrest of Naked Couple Leads Police to Alleged Credit Card Fraud Ring

Laguna Beach police are working to track down dozens of victims of an alleged credit card fraud ring before they can bring charges to Orange County prosecutors.

The case started about 3 a.m. Sept. 19 when Laguna Beach police found a
naked couple in a car behind the White House restaurant in Laguna Beach, police
Sgt. Bob Rahaeuser said.

Police found 43 phony credit cards and gift cards scattered across the dashboard and front seat, Rahaeuser said.

The arrests of the naked couple—Diandre Lopez, 38, and Diana Andara, 21, both of Costa Mesa—led police to 22-year-old Charles Martin in Huntington Beach, who also was arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud, Rahaeuser said.

Laguna Beach investigators were then led to the alleged "ring leader'' of the scheme—Dwight Vaccaro, 46, of Costa Mesa, whose probation for a federal conviction in Oklahoma in 1989 for selling cocaine recently was revoked, according to Rahaeuser and court records. Vaccaro was sentenced to 300
months in prison in 1989 after he was convicted, according to court records.

All four have been arrested, but not charged as prosecutors asked Laguna Beach police to identify the victims first, Rahaeuser said.

So far, 95 fraudulent cards have been retrieved so police believe they have as many victims, Rahaeuser said.

A search of Vaccaro's home led police to recover phony credit cards and the devices used to make them, Rahaeuser said.

Lopez and Andara appear to be among Vaccaro's customers, who would use
the phony gift and credit cards to buy goods and return them for cash later,
Rahaeuser said.

Investigators have identified at least two more suspects and arrest warrants were being prepared for them, Rahaeuser said.

Vaccaro is suspected of using online chat rooms to obtain the identities of consumers from thieves who sell that information, Rahaeuser said. Then Vaccaro would allegedly steal the identities and put them on the bogus cards, the sergeant said.

Investigators have not yet determined how much money was allegedly
stolen in the scheme, Rahaeuser said.

—City News Service