By Shari Kaplan
Working in conjunction with several law enforcement agencies, Los Gatos police detective Carlos Torres ended a seven-month investigation of a mail theft and counterfeiting ring April 9 by arresting two suspects believed to be connected with the ring, according to Los Gatos police.
After conducting a surveillance of the suspects' Hayward residence, Torres and U.S. Postal Inspector Russell Lee arrested Daniel Lee Williams, 49, and Mark Charles Steinberg, 44. A search of the property led to the recovery of stolen mail, various types of stolen and counterfeit I.D.s, counterfeit checks and paper reams and computer equipment used in the counterfeiting of checks, according to LGPD Sgt. Tricia Friedrich.
She said Torres and Lee also discovered methamphetamine on the premises, along with a stolen or forged California driver's license belonging to Richard Hongisto, former San Francisco County sheriff and later chief of police.
According to Friedrich, the United States Postal Service Investigations unit, the Menlo Park Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department were also involved in the investigation; Los Gatos got involved when Torres developed a lead based on some counterfeit or forged checks used in Los Gatos in late 1996.
The loss to Wells Fargo Bank in California totaled approximately $2 million, Friedrich said, adding that California branches of Bank of America were also affected to a lesser degree. In Southern California, Los Angeles police have already arrested 20 people associated with this ring, according to Friedrich.
At the April 11 arraignment, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office charged co-defendants Williams and Steinberg with criminal conspiracy, possessing or receiving forged papers, possessing fraudulent checks or money orders with intent to defraud, and possession for sale of methamphetamine.
The two suspects are scheduled to enter a plea in court on April 30.
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This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, April 30, 1997.
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