Two Arrested In Desert Casinos Credit Fraud

Two parolees, one a deported felon, are suspected of using counterfeit credit cards at four desert casinos and were in custody today, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

Erik Baca, 27, of Los Angeles and Javier Lopez, 42, of San Juan Capistrano, a previously deported felon, were arrested Saturday and face burglary and credit card fraud charges.

The two men used counterfeit credit cards to obtain large cash advances from three casinos and attempted to do the same at a fourth, said Sgt. David Florez.

Nordstrom Visa notified security personnel at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage that a fraudulent transaction had happened in the casino around 4:30 a.m. Saturday. Security officers contacted other area casinos to alert them of the situation.

At 10 a.m., security cameras at Fantasy Springs Resort captured the two suspects attempting to use the counterfeit cards to withdraw funds.

Sheriff’s deputies were alerted and Baca and Lopez were arrested before they could escape with the cash, Florez said.

They were booked into the Indio Jail and face charges of burglary and credit card fraud, according to jail records. Both men were held without bail.

Investigators searched Lopez’s home in San Juan Capistrano and found additional counterfeit cards and equipment for making the cards, Florez said.

Additional charges may be added, as the case was still under investigation.