Identity theft kingpin arrested near Folsom

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, January 16, 2009 10:04 AM CST



Jason Brown is considered an identity theft kingpin, eluding authorities for six years with slew of name spelling and aliases as he logged 13 warrants from six agencies.

On Saturday, however, his run ended over a stolen television set.

Brown, 30, of 15173 Jewel Drive, was arrested near Folsom Saturday when he emerged as the prime suspect in the investigation of the stolen TV from a North Columbia Street home, Capt. Jack West, Covington Police spokesman said.

Within hours responding officer Eric Magee discovered from a confidential informant that Brown worked at a Folsom area bar.

A team of Covington policemen, Folsom Police and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office immediately dispatched to the bar.

As the caravan of officers headed northbound on Louisiana Highway 25, Brown, in a 1998 Chevy pickup, passed them headed southbound in the opposite direction.

Magee, the last man in the caravan, noticed Brown inside the car, spun around and followed the suspect, who turned into a parking lot to avoid detection, but the ruse failed.

Within seconds, a team of authorities surrounded Brown and arrested him, bringing an end to the chain of identity theft crimes throughout south Louisiana.

As of now, Brown is wanted on warrants from the New Orleans Police Department, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Hammond Police Department, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, and Louisiana Probation and Parole for a parole violation.

But that’s just the “tip of the iceberg,” West said. He expects more victims to come forward and other crimes pointing to Brown, “but with the numerous combinations of aliases he uses, finding the correct warrants is difficult,” West said.

Brown stole credit cards and checks and used profits to buy items to resell, West said.

“He’s been living on stolen credit cards since 2002,” West said. “He’s just been out there on a little crime spree. It’s a little crazy.”

West expects to see much more similar criminals in the future.

“Identity theft is the crime of the future,” he said. “We’re moving to a (paper) moneyless society.”


Comments

2 comment(s)

    BLH0701 wrote on Jan 27, 2009 3:20 PM:

    " if someone knows more than the police does then instead of putting it on here you should be at the police station letting them know so they can get to the bottom of this low-life that steals from people living off of them instead of getting a job like everyone else!!! "

    someone who knows more than you wrote on Jan 17, 2009 10:38 AM:

    " get your facts straight befor you going accusing people of crimes that there is no possible way they could have commited, Jason has been incarceratd since 2001 and just returned home from a half-way house on June 19, 2008. Get a clue this is coming from someone who knows better than you!!! "

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.

(optional)
Current Word Count: