Local News

Two Arrested on Fraud Charges

Dec 26, 2018

On Friday, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office arrested to Oregon residents on Fraud charges following a complaint about suspicious activity.

Forty-seven year-old Kristin L. Burton, 47 of Cannon Beach Oregon and 51-year-old Dion P. Gonzales, of Portland, were booked into the Okanogan County Jail on outstanding warrants and Fraud according to Sheriff Frank Rogers.

Rogers said deputies located the pair’s vehicle in Okanogan and contacted the two occupants. He said, “During the investigation it was learned that Burton and Gonzalez had used illegally obtained credit card numbers and then manufactured credit cards with their names imprinted on the cards.”

Rogers said the cards used where white in color with no bank name or other markings on the card, Gold “Visa” cards, no bank information or markings, sometimes the Gold card may have had Burton’s or Gonzales name on it but no banking information.

Rogers added that it should be noted the cards did not have a “chip” requiring them to insert the card into the point of purchase terminal. He said the suspects would swipe the fraudulent cards card until the machine required a manual entry of the credit card number.

The Sheriff said Burton and Gonzalez also made illegal purchases with fraudulent Gift Cards, silver in color. They would also use the Silver Gift cards to purchase other Gift Cards such as gas or an electronic store. Rogers said the two made thousands of dollars’ worth of purchases of merchandise throughout Okanogan County to include Twisp, Winthrop, Okanogan, Omak and surrounding counties.

The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office has high dollar items (tags still attached) and is seeking information from the public where the items may have been purchased. Rogers said some of the items appear to have been purchased in Winthrop, Twisp and from pawn shops. He said, “We know the two had traveled from Oregon and were in the Chelan and Wenatchee area as well as areas over in western Washington.”

The case is still under investigation and the case because it is getting bigger has been turned over to the Detectives at the Sheriff’s Office. Rogers said, “We are just not sure where else these two have been and Detectives will be attempting to locate additional victims.” If anyone has information about Burton or Gonzalez you are asked to please contact the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office at 422-7232.

Rogers said, “I want to credit Deputy Jodie Barcus and Deputy Ted Shook for the arrests.” He said, “They did an incredible job figuring all this out when the two suspects stories were not matching. As they continued to investigate, they ended up doing a search warrant on the vehicle which lead to the recovery of the forged documents, illegal credit card and recovered stolen property.” Rogers said, “It was very good police work.”

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