Carson City arrests: NYC man jailed for booking motel room with stolen credit card

A 22-year-old New York City man was arrested Wednesday and faces felony credit card fraud, forgery and other charges after allegedly stealing information to book a room at a local motel, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Ronny Mejia, of Bronx, New York was arrested Wednesday, 6:36 a.m. in the 800 block of south Carson Street. A 28-year-old man with him, also of the Bronx, was booked on a misdemeanor obstructing charge.

According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatched to a motel in the 800 block of south Carson Street for a report of credit card fraud. An Illinois police department called Carson City dispatch to report a board member for their city had his credit card information used to book a room at the motel in Carson City.

A deputy arrived and met with the night audit manager who said the owner of the credit card that was used to book the room called the motel and said he did not book the room and that he was Illinois, the arrest report states.

The deputy asked the manager to provide him with information on the subjects who used the credit card number. The manager gave the officer the information and the room number as well as the names of those who signed into the room.

Deputies saw two names and they were staying in room 210. The manager said the room was booked online using what would later be determined to be the victim’s credit card information. When the suspect signed the paperwork he did not have to provide the card information because the online company that booked the room sent him a virtual card, the manager told deputies. He also stated the man left a $100 cash deposit instead of using the card. On the motel booking sheet the suspect provided car information as a Nissan Altima and gave a plate number.

Officers attempted to contact the men in the room and no one answered. The motel manager showed deputies video footage of a man signing the booking paperwork. He also showed video footage of two men in the elevator and then walking to room 210. As officers were watching the video a woman from downstairs opened her door and said she saw two men on the roof and that they had jumped to the ground, the arrest report states.

Deputies made contact with Mejia that matched the video the manager showed. The officer asked the man where he was coming from and the man replied room 210. The officer asked the man where the other guy was. The man replied that he was staying with him and that he ran off. The officer asked for his identification. The suspect said he did not have any with him. He said the other guy had his identification and a cell phone.

The officer asked the suspect for his name, date of birth and Social Security number. Mejia gave deputies three different Social Security numbers with a fake name. He was detained because he could not provide proper identification.

A deputy also investigating saw a man running down the street and contact was made with him after he was found hiding behind a Jeep trying to conceal himself. A deputy detained and placed him in custody, the arrest report states.

The officer asked Mejia for consent to look through his suitcase. The man agreed. Officers did not locate any forms of identification in his suitcase. The officer read the suspect his Miranda rights and Mejia consented to speak. He finally told officers his real name and that he was from New York.

The officer asked the man for consent to search the room. During the investigation, the motel manager walked into the room with a backpack and cell phone that he found under a car next to the back window of the motel room. The suspect identified the backpack and cell phone as his.

When the officer took the case off his phone, the suspect’s New York State identification and a Wells Fargo debit card fell out. He said that was his real name and identification. Officers ran his name through dispatch and got a match.

Inside Mejia’s backpack officers located two Citi Bank Visa cards with names on them that were not his. Officers found a California driver’s license with the of a name of a person and Mejia’s picture on it. The officer ran the California license through dispatch and it came back expired to a man born in the 1948, the arrest report states.

The investigating deputy located two more New York identification cards with Mejia’s name and picture and his Social Security card. He was taken into custody. The 28-year-old man who was found hiding earlier told officers he was the one who rented the car and had the keys to the car and would not consent for a search of the vehicle.

In plain view the officer could see another Citi Bank Visa card in the cup holder similar to the two found in Mejia’s backpack as well as what appeared to be another driver’s license. While in jail a deputy advised a California license with another man’s name was located in the suspect’s shoe.

Mejia faces two felony counts of forgery of a credit card and two felony counts of using identification of another for unlawful purposes. Bail: $30,000. The 28-year-old man with him faces a misdemeanor obstructing charge. Bail: $412.

In other arrests:
A 25-year-old Carson City man was booked into jail Wednesday, 10:31 p.m. on a misdemeanor failure to appear traffic warrant issued out of Reno Township Court. Bail: $415.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.