Criminals In Crime Spree Arrested

Last Tuesday, the Ponca City police pepartment received a report of a business receiving a fraudulent check. That call and the resulting investigation led the local police to ask for the secret service’s assistance.

The Manager of the business, located in the 300 block of East Hartford, called a Texas bank to verify account information for a check they received. It was found it to be no good. The manager then called the police department. An officer was dispatched and took the information for a report. The manager gave the officer the check, along with identifying information they’d obtained from the pair passing the check. Police discovered the identification the pair used, had been stolen as well. The manager was able to provide the officer a description of the pick-up truck the pair left in.

Later, the officer was heading home from his shift, just after 5 p.m., when he spotted the pick-up. The officer initiated a traffic stop. The officer spotted the items which he believed to have been purchased with the fraudulent check. The driver produced a stolen driver’s license to the officer. The vehicle was impounded. The pair were arrested and held in jail. 29 year old Zachary Bethel was held for knowingly concealing stolen property and an outstanding Kay County Warrant as a fugitive from justice. Patricia Threadgill, 22, was also held on a charge of knowingly concealing stolen property.

Once the pickup truck was searched, along with the hotel room the pair had shared, the charges multiplied and evidence of a crime spree were revealed. More than 100 credit cards were seized, a similar number of social security cards, gift cards and driver’s licenses were found. Bank statements along with a computer and printer were seized too. The pair had been printing fraudulent checks in their hotel room. Additional charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, identity theft, obtaining merchandise by false pretence, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and possession of controlled dangerous substances were added.

Police contacted local residents and notifyed them of their recovered bank statements and debit cards that were seized during the search warrants. The pair had stolen these items out of mailboxes.

On Saturday, an agent from the secret service took possession of eight hard drives from the computer. Local officers await the results of what is obtained from the search. The investigation is continuing.