At about 7:00pm Tuesday, Turlock Police arrived at Bank of America in the 500 block of E. Main Street to conduct follow-up in an identity theft investigation.
Detective Urban and officers had reason to believe that a suspect vehicle in ATM skimming devices found around the city would be there.
Sure enough, officers located the vehicle in the bank ATM drive-thru and stopped it.
Officers contacted the vehicle’s driver, Mihai Lupu, 29, of the Czech Republic, and positively identified him as the suspect.
During a subsequent search of Lupu’s vehicle, officers located multiple skimming devices, fraudulent cards, tools, and other electronic equipment for retrieving skimming devices.
Altogether, Lupu had the personal information of over 10 people for fraudulent purposes.
Lupu was also unlicensed.
Lupu was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on four different identity theft-related charges and driving without a valid license.
Additionally, Lupu’s vehicle was towed.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist is encouraged to call Detective Urban at 209-668-6571.
