Published January 27 2015
SEATTLE -- A Bellevue Police investigation into a nine-day crime spree involving 14 victims from Bellevue, Seattle and Redmond has resulted in felony charges. Taras Prokopchuk was charged on Friday, January 23, in King County Superior Court with one count of first-degree identity theft and two counts of forgery. Additional charges are likely, according to the prosecutor handling the case.
Prokopchuk is alleged to have stolen several "convenience checks" from mailboxes in Bellevue, Seattle and Redmond, forged them, and then deposited them into an account that was associated with a stolen credit card. Prokopchuk then allegedly used the stolen card to make over $13,000 in purchases over nine days.
Prokopchuk was arrested after a Bellevue police officer who had been the school resource officer at Prokopchuk's former high school in Bellevue recognized him from surveillance images as the suspect.
Prokopchuk remains in the King County Jail, with bail set at $50,000. His next court appearance is on February 4 at 8:30 a.m. at the King County Courthouse in Seattle.
The Bellevue Police continue to stress that locking mailboxes and emptying your mailbox on a daily basis can prevent most mail theft. In addition, unwanted convenience checks can be stopped by contacting your bank or credit card company.