Credit cards stolen from cars at Whatcom County park allegedly used in fraudulent purchases
Two men are suspected of using credit cards stolen from cars parked at a Whatcom County park to make more than $3,000 in fraudulent purchases from Bellingham retailers.
The Bellingham Police booked Michael Ronald Ackerman, 31, into Whatcom County Jail Aug. 31 on suspicion of charges including first-degree identity theft, second-degree theft and five counts of second-degree possession of stolen property. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $125,000 bail.
A second suspect was named in the affidavit of probable cause filed against Ackerman, according to Whatcom County Superior Court documents, but court records do not show probable cause has been filed against that man for the incident, yet. He also has not been booked into jail.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies were first sent at approximately 6:30 p.m. Aug. 20 to Lake Whatcom Park, after two victims reported their vehicles had been broken into while they were at the park, court documents state. Both victims reported that, among other items, their wallets and credit cards had been stolen from inside their vehicles.
After the vehicle break-ins, both victims reported fraudulent use of their credit cards at Bellingham-area stores, documents state. Records reportedly showed a total of nine fraudulent purchases totaling $3,024.59 were made with the stolen credit cards between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Aug. 20 at four different retailers.
Deputies contacted the stores, and three of the four helped them locate surveillance video and photos of the men suspected of making the fraudulent purchases, whom deputies were able to identify as Ackerman and the second suspect, documents state. The fourth store could not locate surveillance video that showed Ackerman or the second suspect in the story nor search transaction records from Aug. 20, but employees told deputies they were familiar with the two suspects and had experienced several problems with them in the past.
Surveillance video from one store even showed Ackerman and the second suspect wearing clothing they had fraudulently purchased at another store, documents state.
Ackerman was arrested Aug. 31 by Bellingham Police on suspicion of three domestic violence-related charges in a non-related incident, in which he reportedly kicked in the door to a woman’s home, argued with her, chased her out into the street and was seen putting her in a headlock in the middle of the street, documents state.
