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Suspect In Stolen Bank Card Case Charged And Jailed

  The man suspected of using personal information from a stolen wallet and pilfering nearly $6,000 from the victim’s bank account has been identified and located.

Cody L. Payton, 20, has been charged with 18 counts of unauthorized use or theft of a bank card, two counts of forgery and one count of identity theft. Las Cruces Police detectives learned that Payton is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges in the Otero County Detention Center in Alamogordo.

Las Cruces Police detectives learned that on Feb. 11 someone stole the wallet from the vehicle of a 21-year-old man who had parked his car on the 2600 block of north Main Street. Detectives believe the victim’s wallet was in the center console, and the vehicle was left unattended and unlocked. The victim reported having his driver’s license, debit card and social security card amongst other items inside the stolen wallet.

The victim filed a police report that day and cancelled his debit card with a local bank. A couple weeks later, however, the victim received his bank statement and realized that approximately $5,700 was missing from his account.

Detectives believe Payton tried to use the stolen debit card but found that it had been cancelled. Payton is suspected of then entering the victim’s bank where he used the stolen driver’s license and social security card to deceitfully obtain a new debit card.

Payton is suspected of then using the new debit card to make several purchases and withdrawals against the victim’s bank account.

Payton is currently incarcerated in Otero County but is expected to be returned to Dona Ana County at some point where he will be held under a $50,000 cash-only bond.

Information from Las Cruces Police