A Huntsville man was arrested after a police financial crimes investigation led to multiple fraud-related charges, including identity theft and forgery.
Devonte Jacquez Lanier, 27, was taken into custody in Huntsville, according to Rocket City Now.
The Madison County inmate roster lists charges including fraud identity theft, second-degree theft by deception, and third-degree forgery.
The charges are accusations and have not been proven in court.
The Arrest Followed a Financial Crimes Investigation
Rocket City Now reported that Lanier was arrested after a Huntsville Police Department financial crimes investigation.
The station said the case moved from a police inquiry to an arrest on fraud-related charges.
Jail Records Listed Identity Theft, Forgery, and Theft by Deception
The Madison County inmate roster identifies Lanier as Devonte Jacquez Lanier and lists a fraud identity theft charge tied to Huntsville police.
The roster also lists second-degree theft by deception. The charge entry describes the alleged loss range as $1,500 to $2,500.
A third-degree forgery-related charge is also listed. Police have not released a detailed account explaining how the alleged identity theft, deception, and forgery were connected.
Identity Theft Can Start With One Unfamiliar Record
People who see unfamiliar bank withdrawals, checks, credit applications, payment-app transfers, loan activity, tax records, benefit claims, or documents signed in their name should save the records before accounts or portals update.
Victims can contact the financial institution or business involved, file a police report, review credit reports, and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus.
Suspected identity theft can be reported through the FTC’s recovery portal at IdentityTheft.gov. Online fraud can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.