Palm Desert Deputies Bust Alleged Credit Card Fraud Operation

Two men were arrested and authorities were seeking a third accomplice Thursday in connection with an alleged fake credit card operation suspected of defrauding businesses in the Coachella Valley and beyond out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Officers were called about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday to a report of suspicious people attempting to use fraudulent credit cards in the 73-000 block of El Paseo Drive, sheriff’s Sgt. Aaron Eller said.

Deputies arrived and the three men ran away upon seeing the officers. Two were captured at the scene and the third got away, Eller said.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the suspects’ rental car, where investigators allegedly found hundreds of “manufactured credit cards,” purchased gift cards and stolen property, including clothes, electronics and other goods, Eller said.

Investigators determined the suspects used stolen credit card numbers to steal merchandise from several Southern California businesses.

“The investigation revealed the suspects have been committing retail fraud with stolen credit card numbers in the cities of San Diego, Indio, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Temecula,” Eller said. “The total loss is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars and the victims associated to the stolen credit card numbers reside in different states across the nation.”

Javier Barragan, 31, of San Diego, and Osario Tovar, 25, of Tijuana, were booked into the Riverside County jail in Indio for investigation of burglary, fraud, identity theft and possession of stolen property.

Both initially were held in lieu of $10,000 bail, but Barragan was released on bond Thursday.

Tovar, who remained in custody, is scheduled to appear in court Friday. Barragan is scheduled to appear in court June 25.

– City News Service contributed to this report.