3 charged in Rock Hill credit card mail theft; SC/NC scam bust is second in weeks
Three men have been arrested and police say the men targeted mailboxes throughout York County and as far away as Charlotte to steal credit cards and other financial documents.
The three suspects were arrested Tuesday, said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department. Eight sets of victims from Charlotte, Fort Mill, and York County have been identified, Chavis said.
Anthony Leon Rowland, 53, of Atlanta, Ga., Adrian Bernard Good, 29, of Rock Hill, and Devonte Latawn Choice, 24, of Greenville, each are charged with eight counts of financial identity fraud, according to police and jail records.
Rock Hill officers found two plastic trash bags filled with stolen mail at a motel room on Riverview Road on Monday, Chavis said. The suspects were staying in the motel, Chavis said.
Investigators Keith Dugan and Chris Price then determined the mail had been stolen. The suspects are believed to have used pre-approved credit cards, tax information, and other items in the mail to commit Internet identity theft and fraud, Chavis said.
A scam involving stolen mail is the second that Rock Hill Police Department officers have uncovered in three weeks, officers said. In January, Rock Hill police detectives charged four men in a similar scam where three apartment complex mailboxes were damaged during thefts.
Chavis said detectives have not linked the cases.
Police said the scam has been used in several states.
Investigators with the U.S Postal Service, York County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Fort Mill Police Department also are involved, officials said.
Financial identity fraud is a felony under South Carolina law that carries up to 10 years in prison for each conviction.
Rowland was denied bond in court Wednesday morning, records show.
Good remains at the York County jail under a $225,000 bond, records show. Choice is in the York County jail under a $200,000 bond.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 11:27 AM.
