Agents with the district attorney's Office Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team arrested the four women Monday afternoon for their alleged involvement in an operation that included mail theft, credit card theft, auto theft, and opening various accounts in people's names, spokeswoman Amy Cornell said.
Investigators estimated more than 100 victims were affected in the identity theft operation.
The suspects arrested are Jayne Sippin, 24; Veronica Perez, 22; Evangelina Gillespie, 28; and Sarah Revera, 32. All four are Santa Clara County residents, according to Cornell.
Two suspects arrested were on parole for theft-related crimes, including robbery and being a parolee at large, Cornell said.
Agents recovered stolen mail, counterfeit mailbox keys and methamphetamine from the motel room of one of the suspects at Days Inn, located at 4170 Monterey Road. They also recovered two stolen cars used by the suspects at the motel, Cornell said.
To prevent mail theft, residents are advised to avoid leaving bill payments in the mailbox overnight and to leave letters or packages out for pickup the afternoon of the day it is to be picked up, Cornell said. An additional safety measure would be a mailbox with a lock.
Residents are also recommended to prevent credit card fraud by checking their accounts frequently to ensure there is nothing out of the ordinary, such as unusual charges, Cornell said.
The Regional Auto Theft Task Force and officers from the San Jose Police Department METRO unit assisted in the arrest and investigation.
The investigation is ongoing and charges have not been filed at this time, Cornell said.
