ST. GEORGE – Police arrested a Las Vegas woman for unlawful possession and use of a credit card Monday.

A St. George Police officer was waiting in line at a convenience store, St. George Police Sgt. Sam Despain said, and observed a woman attempting to purchase items using a credit card. The card was not working properly and appeared to have been altered.

The officer then contacted the woman, who was identified as 35-year-old Michelle Renee Johnson, of Las Vegas. A records check through the St. George Communications Center returned a result of identity theft in Nevada. Additional investigation determined Johnson was in possession of allegedly-stolen credit cards.

Johnson was arrested and booked into the county jail on two third-degree felonies related to unlawful possession and use of a finance card, as well as another third-degree felony related to the Nevada warrant. Bail is currently set at $70,000.

“For individuals who become a victim of identity theft there is help available,” Despain said.  “Identity Theft Reporting Information System is an online resource that offers online ID theft reporting, child identity protection, ID theft crime mapping, ID theft education, step-by-step help, ID theft legislation, scams (and) alerts.”

Visit www.idtheft.utah.gov for more information.

Related posts

• IRS expands identity theft investigation and prosecution effort nationwide
• IRS ‘Dirty Dozen’ list outlines 12 most common tax scams
• Credit card hackers in the news; but you won’t get my money
• What dangers lurk within that debit card
• Utah Attorney General’s Office launches program to protect children from ID theft
• Identity theft prevention meeting to be held at Dixie Center
• Identity theft becoming more common in Southern Utah
• Identity Theft and Stolen Credit Cards: It Happens in Southern Utah

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.