Man with Priors Arrested for Charging Up False Credit at Murrieta Lowe's

A Murrieta man was behind bars today after he allegedly phoned in more than $20,000 worth of merchandise orders to home improvement stores in five cities, posing as an employee of local construction companies.

Anthony Renard Miles, Sr., 53, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of grand theft, commercial burglary and theft with priors, according to Murrieta Police Sgt. Julie Hoxmeier.

The sergeant said Miles picked up large orders from Lowe's in Murrieta on three separate occasions: Oct. 28, Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. She said similar crimes were also committed in Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore and Corona.

Hoxmeier said the companies Miles claimed he was ordering on behalf of had established lines of credit at Lowe's, but that he was not an authorized employee of any of the victim companies and did not have permission to use the accounts.

"This method appears to be the latest trend in identity theft," she said.

Jail records show Miles had just gotten out of jail on Jan. 18 after serving almost two months on drug and theft charges. His bail was set at $25,000 for his latest arrest.