Traffic stop leads troopers to make identity-theft arrest

State Patrol troopers who stopped a speeding car on Interstate 90 near Preston on Wednesday uncovered evidence of a suspected identity-theft ring that could affect "well over 100 victims," said Trooper Jeff Merrill.

A 1995 Nissan 200SX was first noticed from the air by a State Patrol airplane crew. The car was weaving through traffic at 94 mph and was stopped by troopers on the ground, Merrill said. The driver "stuck out like a sore thumb; he was speeding and passing everyone in sight," he said.

The driver, a man in his 20s from Orting, Pierce County, consented to a search of his car and troopers found what they believe is stolen mail, a passport, documents from the state Department of Licensing, keys to numerous post-office boxes and notebooks containing bank-account numbers, personal tax information and Social Security numbers, Merrill said.

"The information we uncovered leads us to believe these guys were not the only individuals involved in gathering and disseminating these stolen IDs," Merrill said. The case, he said, "certainly involves a lot of people with some pretty sophisticated knowledge of how these things are put together."

The driver was booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of identity theft. His passengers, both men in their mid-20s, were not booked, Merrill said. One is from Wenatchee, the other from New Jersey, though the latter man told troopers he also lives in Wenatchee, Merrill said. The investigation was continuing, he said.

U.S. Postal Service inspectors and State Patrol detectives are working together on the case and are contacting people whose property was found in the car to determine if they are identity-theft victims, he said.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com