December 21, 2009

Thieves Captured with Stolen Merchandise and
Counterfeit Credit Cards

On December 19, 2009, at approximately 5:30 p.m., two Hispanic male adults were attempting to fraudulently purchase items at Capital Yamaha, a local motorcycle shop, with counterfeit credit cards.

A store employee called the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and told them he believed the same suspects had made a fraudulent purchase at another local motorcycle shop. He attempted to stall the suspects but eventually they left in a new Chevrolet truck. The store manager from Capital Yamaha followed the suspects to Cycle Gear on Date Avenue where more likely then not, they were looking for another shop to purchase items from. Due to the great work of the manager of Capital Yamaha, Sheriff's deputies located and stopped the vehicle. Immediately they noticed several thousands dollars worth of merchandise (see attached photos) in the vehicle.  The merchandise was fraudulently obtained from Wal-Mart, Game Stop, Old Navy, Capitol Yamaha, Carmichael Motorsports, Home Depot and Safeway.

Both suspects, Gustavo Lopez Castro (34), and Sergio Castro-Vaszuez (36), were in the Sacramento area on Visa's from Mexico. They had in their possession counterfeit driver licenses and counterfeit credit cards. Some of the credit cards had Mexican financial institution emblems on them but are embossed with US financial account numbers. The suspects were in possession of a shopping list which explains the variety of items recovered. The recovered merchandise has been valued at over $10,000.

Both suspects were booked (see booking photos below) into the Sacramento County Main Jail. They are both ineligible for bail and face the charges of identity theft, burglary, possession of counterfeit credit cards, possession of counterfeit driver licenses and possession of stolen property. Currently they are being held without bail. Castro is scheduled to be arraigned on December 21, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 62. Castro-Vaszuez scheduled to be arraigned on December 21, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 61.

Sergeant Tim Curran,
Sheriff's Spokesman

Gustavo Castro (4/27/75)

Sergio Castro-Vaszuez (5/3/73)