The Zavala County Sheriff’s office recently shut down an identity theft pair that had allegedly been defrauding victims throughout South Texas.

Trey Lane McCoy, 46, was arrested on April 22, at approximately 4:30 p.m. after a traffic stop, said Zavala County Chief Deputy Rick Rios.

McCoy had been on Crimestoppers, where charges of tampering with a government record and identity theft were broadcast. “The suspect would get personal information on people and use it to obtain false driver’s licenses and print fake checks to charge expenses under the victims’ names,” Rios said. One such victim was Karl Arnst of Live Oak County.

“I received a letter from an Austin check cashing company dated March 30, saying a check for $678.44 was returned unpaid by the financial institution as ‘stolen or forged’. I had to fill out an affidavit, have it notarized and send it back to them. A few weeks later I received a letter from the San Antonio Police Department telling me I was a suspect in a forgery case. When I called them they already knew it was not me. He [McCoy] was recorded on a bank’s surveillance camera trying to cash a check from another area victim.” Arnst said.

On Tuesday, April 28, Live Oak County Investigator Charlie Stroleny contacted Arnst and let him know that the suspect had been apprehended in Zavala County. McCoy was charged with fraudulent use/possession of identifying documents. “On April 23, 2009 at approximately 4 p.m., [Zavala County] executed a search warrant at the home of McCoy’s ex-wife. Many more identifying documents and checks were recovered at the residence,” Rios said. McCoy was magistrated by District Judge Cynthia Muniz and a surety bond was set at $100,000. McCoy remains in the Zavala County jail.

“In conjunction with McCoy, Regina Coleman Cathcart, 41, of Crystal City was arrested on April 24 at 2:10 p.m. on a warrant for fraudulent use/possession of identifying documents, felony of the first degree. Cathcart was arrested at the Crystal City junior high school where she is a school teacher. Cathcart posted bond on April 24, surety bond was set at $ 45,000,” Rios said.

Zavala County authorities said McCoy allegedly stole mail all along the Valley up to San Antonio and over to Houston then fabricated driver’s licenses and checks. Furthermore, authorities estimate thousands of victims have been wronged and some don’t even know it yet.