Men Arrested For Local ID Theft Fraud Appear in SSF Felony Court

The case for a man accused of using fradulent credit cards and his accomplice began Wednesday in South San Francisco Felony Court.

Sometime between Jan. 20 and 30, Willie Lozano And Phong Nguyen Le entered 'Check Expert' check cashing in San Mateo and tried to cash in several $500 Starbucks gift cards, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

The clerk thought they appeared suspicious and delayed them while trying to verify the cards. Both left without the cards and without cash.  

On January 30, Lozano and Le entered the same business and tried to cash the same type of cards.  This time clerk remembered them, and called police. 

Police arrived and contacted both while they were sitting in a car across the street. 

Both had a warrant for their arrest and were arrested. 

The car smelled of fresh marijuana; the search of the car revealed 11 pounds of marijuana in trunk, wrapped into one-pound bricks, and packaging materials. 

Lozano has two fraudulent driver's licenses, in different names but with his photo and fraudulent credit cards in same names.  

Other fraudulent cards were found in car, plus other ID fraud materials. Defendants identifed their accomplice, Charles Ryan Angeles as source of cards. 

A search warrant for Angeles’ house in Milpitas was obtained. 

In the garage area, they located several ID fraud materials: computer programs, blank Starbucks cards, hundreds of pieces of personal information information, and email messages trying to buy more names and credit card numbers.

Both Angeles and Le are out of custody on $100,000 bail bonds. Lozano, who is in custody on $100,000 bail, will be in trial on May 28.