Three Charged in Spanaway Identity Theft Operation

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Zachary Tweedell, 32, Alex William Howe, 26, and Danielle Marie White, 32, with multiple counts for their involvement in a large scale identify theft operation in Spanaway. They were also arraigned on Tuesday, April 23, and pled not guilty. Bail was set at $150,000. 

On April 21, 2013, defendant Tweedell was arrested for eluding Pierce County Sheriff's deputies in a stolen motorcycle. After Tweedell was booked into the Pierce County Jail, a corrections deputy monitored his phone calls. He made multiple phone calls directing individuals to move and sell property located in a vehicle and storage units. After receiving this information, deputies began to locate the storage units and various suspects named by Tweedell.

On April 22, deputies stopped the vehicle described by Tweedell. The driver told deputies the property was taken to defendant Howe's residence and two storage units. In defendant Howe's residence, deputies found notebooks with identity theft profiles, stolen mail, materials to make fake checks and IDs and personal information used to forge prescription drugs.

In addition, they found multiple firearms, ammunition and 26.3 grams of methamphetamine. In the two storage units, they obtained materials for an identity theft operation. Defendants White and Howe were arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail.

The defendants have been charged with multiple counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Fictitious Identification, Unlawful Possession of Payment Instruments, Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Device, Unlawful Possession of Instruments of Financial Fraud and Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver.

"Our Identity Theft team vigorously prosecutes identity thieves," said Prosecutor Lindquist. "These crimes are a huge burden on the victims and our community."

Investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming. Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.