2 Jailed In Napa Fraud Investigation: Police

NAPA, CA — Two people remained in custody Friday at the Napa County jail following a fraud investigation that led to their arrests, Napa police said.

The investigation started April 2 when Napa Valley Bike Shop reported the theft of four bicycles valued at more than $20,000.

The bikes were reserved online and three men and a woman came in to pick them up. When the bikes were not returned, the shop attempted to charge the credit card on file but it was declined as a fraudulent transaction.

"The investigating officer, who is one of our K-9 officers, has a knack for fraud cases and was able to identify two of the four suspects," Napa police Sgt. Pete Piersig said. "It was learned the two, 34-year-old Andrew Busch and 32-year-old Suzi Mealer had lengthy criminal histories for similar cases, as well as outstanding warrants for burglaries in neighboring counties, and even other states."

Despite Busch using multiple peoples' identities, the officer tracked the pair to an apartment in the 2000 block of Valdez Street in Oakland, near Lake Merritt, Piersig said.

On April 14, NPD detectives assisted the officer in serving arrest warrants for Busch and Mealer and a search warrant for their apartment.

"Just as the front door was going be forced open, Mealer opened it and was detained without incident," Piersig said. "Busch was seen on the sixth-floor balcony debating on climbing down. Busch decided to cooperate, came back in, and was detained without incident."

The pair let detectives know that the substance on several nearby tables was fentanyl, and suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine was spread throughout the apartment, Piersig said.

Evidence of credit card and check fraud was found in the apartment, including fraudulent California driver’s licenses with Busch and Mealer’s pictures but information belonging to identity theft victims — including the names of the people they used to rent the bikes in Napa, police said.

"Busch had even leased a Tesla Model 3 using the same victim’s information," Piersig said. "The Tesla was brought back to NPD to be returned to the dealership."

As for the bikes, police said the pair attempted to have them returned to the store by one of the other men who was with them but the bikes had yet to be returned.

"Although Busch and Mealer are unemployed, they were living in an apartment that rents for over $4,000 a month," Piersig said. "Fraudulent checks for over $100,000 were collected along with all the other evidence of fraud."

Busch and Mealer were booked into Napa County jail in an effort to keep them from moving onto the next jurisdiction, police said.

Mealer remained in custody Friday with her bail set at $150,000. She was booked on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy and grand theft.

Busch was booked on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, identity theft and false impersonation. His bail was set at $210,000 as of Friday.