Judge sets bond at over $1 million for suspected identity thief

A man who was arrested on a single count of identity theft in March is being held in the Spokane County Jail on bonds totaling more than $1 million.

Peter G. Reuteler, 36, now faces 71 counts of theft, identity theft, forgery and financial fraud – 60 felonies and 11 misdemeanors. The new charges follow a investigation lasting several months by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Detective Scott Bonney started looking into a report of identity theft in February, according to a sheriff’s office news release. He identified 30 victims, including individuals and businesses, in multiple states.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt set Reuteler’s unusually high bond amount last week. On Tuesday, however, the Sheriff’s Office accused him of being soft on property crime.

In 2007, Reuteler was sentenced to a lengthy prison term after pleading guilty to more than 30 charges, including identity theft and leading organized crime.

He was released and re-arrested March 7 after a cleaning crew found multiple driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in his hotel room.