EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 42-year-old man has been arrested after authorities discovered over 150 counterfeit documents and instruments in his vehicle, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office reported on Wednesday afternoon, March 26.
Richard Allen Jenkins, 42, was taken into custody and charged with over 50 counts of fraudulent use/possession of identifying information. In addition, he faces charges for theft of mail and forgery of a financial instrument. Jenkins was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility, where his bond was set at $45,000.
The arrest followed a traffic stop on Tuesday, March 25, in the 12800 block of Thackery Drive in far East El Paso. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a deputy initiated the stop and developed probable cause to search Jenkins’ vehicle. The search revealed a large quantity of forged documents and instruments, including:
39 forged driver’s licenses
16 blank, print-ready ID cards
Four Social Security cards
Ten W-2 forms
Four 1099-NEC forms
Two 1095-C forms (employer health insurance)
Two 1098-T forms
One 1099-R form
18 forged checks
25 check copies
12 blank check backgrounds
One blank checkbook
One signature stamp
One bill of sale valued at $69,900
One laptop with forging software
One printer for IDs and forged checks
Five USB drives
Two cellphones
Eight credit cards
Four debit cards
Ten pieces of mail belonging to other individuals
Twelve sets of stolen account/Social Security numbers
22 mail padlock shims
47 mail and skeleton keys
One USPS mailbox
Two fraudulent U.S. passports (one underage, one deceased)
Following the discovery, detectives from the East Montana Patrol Station reached out to victims whose information had been compromised. Many victims lived in apartment complexes and reported having fraudulent credit cards activated in their names.
The Sheriff’s Office also noted that several victims reported incidents of mail theft. Authorities have partnered with the U.S. Postal Inspector in an effort to investigate further, and additional state and federal charges are pending.
