New employee becomes victim of identity theft

New employee identity theft victim

A man who believed he’d landed a new job told police his identity had been stolen by his new boss.

Police arrested 30-year-old Jason M. Clancy, 13013 E. Mission Ave., and charged him with theft and forgery, said Spokane Valley Police Department spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan in a press release.

Police say Clancy had been trying to start a trucking business called Power Systems Express and had advertised for drivers. The victim, who police did not identify, answered the ad and gave Clancy copies of his driver’s license, social security card and other information.

Clancy reportedly told the man he was hired and that his first job would be to go to Griffith, Ind., to pick up a new long-haul truck. When the man arrived, he discovered that his name and financial information had been used to buy the truck, Reagan said. The man refused to accept the vehicle and instead flew home and called police.

Clancy allegedly forged the man’s name on the purchasing documents. He was arrested Wednesday and police seized his personal computer and fax machine as evidence.

Climbing gear gone

Asplunt Tree Co. is missing $800 in climbing gear after someone broke into a company truck overnight Tuesday.

A burglar apparently climbed the fence around a Vera Water and Power storage yard at 601 N. Evergreen Road, said Reagan in a press release. Asplunt does tree thinning and pruning for Vera Water and Power.

The missing equipment includes three braided ropes between 80 and 100 feet long, a Buckingham climbing saddle, a Corona hand saw in a leather sheath and metal climbing spikes.

Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the police tip line at 242-TIPS.

Hunger pangs lead to thefts

Someone stole dozens of boxes of cereal in two separate incidents in the past week. The first occurred on Feb. 11 or 12 when someone cut a lock on a semitrailer parked at the Super 8 Motel near Argonne and Interstate 90, said Reagan in a press release. Several cases of Wheat Chex cereal were missing. Several cases of toilet paper also disappeared.

Sometime late last Saturday or early Sunday someone cut a lock from a trailer parked at Tidyman’s next door to the Super 8 Motel. The thief took off with a pallet full of cases of Rice Krispies. The theft failed to wake the truck driver, who was asleep in his vehicle, Reagan said.

Anyone who knows someone who has an overabundance of cereal is asked to call the police tip line at 242-TIPS.

Broken light leads to drug arrest

A Spokane Valley police officer pulled over a car for having a broken taillight and ended up arresting the female driving for possession of drugs.

The officer pulled over the 24-year-old woman in the area of Broadway and Flora Road around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Reagan. The woman reportedly told the officer she had no driver’s license.

The officer arrested her for first-degree driving with no valid driver’s license. After searching her car he found syringes filled with liquid methamphetamine and other paraphernalia, Reagan said. Police also reportedly found a passport on the floor of the car with another woman’s name on it.

The woman, identified as Carrie A. Graf, 4517 N. Lidgerwood St., was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony count of possession of methamphetamine.