ST. GEORGE — A couple arrested in Mesquite, Nevada, in December 2022 has been linked to several open mail and vehicle theft cases – and then some.
According to a statement released by Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver, Roger Theodore Jenkins, 55, of Pahrump, Nevada, and 34-year-old Lindsey Fay Sarac, 34, of Las Vegas, Nevada, are in custody at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
They face a growing list of charges, including a forgery operation that was discovered during the weeks-long investigation involving more than 70 victims and 160 felony charges filed between the pair, Oliver told St. George News.
The investigation was opened after the pair was arrested during a traffic stop after they had fled from police in a stolen truck and were suspected in a rash of local mail thefts reported over the course of several months.
Officers in Mesquite had responded to numerous reports of mail theft that ultimately led to additional reports of identity theft. The suspected reportedly used victims’ personal information to commit the crimes.
Detectives learned the pair had been living in a motorhome later reported as stolen, along with two trailers the suspects reportedly stole as well.
While processing the motorhome for evidence, investigators discovered a makeshift forgery lab where fake identification documents and forged checks reportedly were created using stolen checks, as well as stolen account information used to create fraudulent bank cards.
Over a period of weeks, detectives recovered stolen sports memorabilia, mailbox keys and a 9mm handgun, as well as industrial equipment that also turned out to be stolen.
Working with a number of outside agencies, investigators were able to link the items to 70 victims – 19 of whom were Mesquite residents, while the others were out of state. The investigation and recovery also led to eight open cases being solved.
Moreover, the extensive investigation also allowed officers to connect the two suspects to eight active Mesquite incidents that were resolved by authorities. This also resulted in dozens of new local felony charges for both suspects, as well as the recovery of more than $30,000 in stolen property, Oliver said in the statement.
Sarac and Jenkins each were charged with 84 felony counts, including 72 counts of possession of a document of personal identifying information, four counts of injury to property, three counts of possession of credit card without consent, two counts of forgery, along with one count each of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property valued at over $30,000 and possession of a financial forgery lab. The suspects also face four counts of gross misdemeanor conspiracy to commit injury to property.
Sarac is also a suspect in an armed robbery that reportedly involved a mail carrier who was robbed at gunpoint in the Henderson-Las Vegas area in November 2022. The couple was also found with a loaded firearm during the traffic stop.
Oliver said the investigation will continue, and one key so far has been the assistance from additional detectives who were called in as the operation increased in both size and scope. Law enforcement worked long hours “for days on end” to collect and categorize all of the evidence and supporting documents – efforts that will continue for months to come. As such, the investigation is ongoing and will likely result in additional charges, he said.
Both suspects remain in custody in Clark County and Sarac is being held on more than $390,000 bail, while Jenkins is being held on $154,000 bail, according to jail records.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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