OLYMPIA, Wash. – A 33-year-old Olympia man is facing multiple charges after allegedly using stolen financial information and credit card data to make fraudulent transactions, including mobile food orders and attempted bank transfers.
Brandon Thomas Sanchez has been charged by the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office with three counts of second-degree identity theft, two counts of attempted identity theft, and one count of driving with a suspended license, according to court records.
The case began on August 16 when a woman reported suspicious activity on her Capital One credit account after recently unfreezing her credit. She began receiving alerts for transactions she did not authorize.
The investigation revealed:
A failed eBay charge of $168.19
An unsuccessful $6,300 transfer from her Chase bank account
A processed $50 payment between her bank and credit card
In addition, surveillance footage from a Taco Bell on Martin Way East showed Sanchez picking up mobile orders worth over $118, which had been paid for using the victim’s credit card.
Lacey Police traced the fraudulent activity back to Sanchez after discovering:
He added himself as an authorized user on the victim’s credit account
His residence was listed as the primary address on the account
An Android device linked to the purchases did not belong to the victim, but matched Sanchez’s digital footprint
Sanchez was arrested on August 20 during a traffic stop outside MultiCare Emergency on Pacific Avenue Southeast. Officers noted that his 2011 black Jeep Grand Cherokee matched a suspect vehicle description.
He was booked into the Thurston County Corrections Facility, and his arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2.
