Published April 14 2013
Stolen car, personal info of dozens of victims recovered in raid of West Seattle home
Bellevue police Tuesday arrested five people suspected of being part of a large identity theft ring that allegedly operated out of a residence in West Seattle. Investigators with the department's Special Enforcement Team were conducting surveillance on a residence in the 9400 block of Ninth Avenue Southwest in West Seattle when they saw two people leave the residence and get into a stolen car.
After obtaining a search warrant for the residence and vehicle, they arrested five people in the residence, including the two who had gotten into the stolen car earlier. They arrested the suspects, two women and three men, on suspicion of crimes including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and identity theft.
During the search of the residence, police found credit cards, Washington drivers licenses and personal and financial documents of dozens of people. They also found and seized equipment used to make fraudulent identifications and financial documents.
In the stolen vehicle they found multiple crowbars, suspected stolen credit cards, gloves, screwdrivers and a brass knuckle-shaped stun gun. Multiple shaved keys and narcotics were recovered inside a small backpack that officers had observed one of the suspects place inside the vehicle. A stolen credit card was also recovered from the center console. Investigators were able to link the stolen vehicle and one of the suspects to an April 7 vehicle prowl in Bellevue.
Investigators are contacting victims, including multiple Bellevue residents, and the investigation is being forwarded to the King County Prosecutor's Office for consideration of charges.
The Special Enforcement Team addresses specific types of repeat crimes with an innovative, proactive approach. The team targets prolific, active criminals in an effort to lower the overall rate of reported crime. The team conducts plain-clothes surveillance of targeted areas and surveillance of known active criminals and then coordinates with the King County Prosecutor's Office to ensure that arrested suspects remain in custody. Additionally, SET works frequently with the investigative units of other agencies to help address multijurisdictional offenders.