Crime & Safety
Fraud Ring Defendants Plead Not Guilty
The identity theft suspects who were found on Gateway Blvd in late Aug. appeared in court yesterday.
The three individuals found in a South City hotel room and arrested for fraud and identity theft, pled not guilty Tuesday.
A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 12 at 9 a.m. The defendants are in custody on $150,000 bail.
According to the South San Francisco Police Department, , police found three tenants in a hotel on the 200 block of Gateway Blvd who were involved in a "large scale" identity theft ring.
Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
At just before 11:00 a.m., a Los Angeles resident called to tell police that an unknown person was using her husband's credit card at a hotel in South San Francisco.
Police officers responded and found the room booked under the victim's credit card. A room search showed numerous birth certificates, social security numbers, credit cards, and a portable credit card reader. According to the District Attorney's office, police also found evidence of equipment to make fraudulent credit cards.
Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Elbert Arthur, 37, of San Francisco; Andrea Chestnut, 28, of Redding; and Amanda Masellis, 26, of Woodland were arrested and booked into the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City.
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