Woman faces ID theft charges

A Florida woman sought in two states as part of an identity theft ring is scheduled to appear in Tahoe Township Justice Court today after allegedly trying to use a stolen credit card to pay for her room at Edgewood Tahoe Resort on Friday.

The woman is accused of reserving the room online using a false name and provided additional, false identification upon check-in.

Kaleigh Thinnes, 34, from Sarasota, Fla. has four outstanding warrants out of different Florida and California jurisdictions for identity theft among other charges. On her arrest, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Thinnes provided false identification to deputies.

A man with her was identified as 38-year-old Gabriel Pizarro-Flores, who also has outstanding California warrants out of Santa Clara County Superior Court and was in possession of a controlled substance and burglary tools.

Multiple travel bags and luggage, approximately 10 passports belonging to other people, in addition to multiple laptop computers and tablets in the room Thinnes and Pizarro-Flores rented. Many of the bags contained identifying information of other people.

The vehicle Thinnes and Pizarro-Flores were using was seized. It was determined this vehicle was reportedly purchased from a dealership in Pleasant Hill, Calif., using another person’s identity.

Thinnes is alleged to have engaged in similar criminal activities throughout the United States. 

Thinnes was booked into the Douglas County Jail for fugitive warrants, defrauding an innkeeper, fraudulent use of credit cards, possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and identity theft.

Pizarro-Flores was booked into the Douglas County Jail on fugitive warrants, defrauding an innkeeper, fraudulent use of a credit card, possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and possession of burglary tools.

“We would like to thank Edgewood Tahoe Resort for their work and assistance during this investigation,” the Sheriff’s Office said.