OCALA, Fla. — Ocala police say a tip from a citizen led to the arrests of four people who were each found carrying identification and credit cards from multiple potential victims.
Officers were first called to the Ocala Hilton on SW 36th Ave. Monday to investigate a report of four suspicious people walking around a U-Haul in the parking lot.
As they approached the U-Haul, police say Kozlowski immediately ran, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested on separate charges.
Police say they searched the other three suspects and found credit cards, IDs, and even a checkbook that didn’t belong to them. Each admitted they didn’t actually know the people named on any of the items.
Police searched Kozlowski separately and say they found even more forms of ID and credit cards that weren’t his.
Through their investigation, detectives found that all four suspects had booked a room at the hotel using someone else’s name and hotel rewards, which were considered to be equivalent to money.
Police were able to contact the owner of the reward points who confirmed he had not booked a room or allowed anyone else to use the points to do so.
Ocala police bust 4 in organized fraud scheme Ocala police say a tip from a citizen led to the arrests of four people who were each found carrying identification and credit cards from multiple potential victims. (Ocala Police Department)
Ocala police bust 4 in organized fraud scheme All four were charged with committing an organized act of fraud and criminal use of personal identification. (Ocala Police Department)
Christopher Kozlowski in police custody Police say when they were called to investigate 4 suspicious people around a U-Haul at the Ocala Hilton, one of them- later identified as 32-year-old Christopher Kozlowski- immediately ran. He was quickly caught and arrested on separate charges. (Ocala Police Department)
Christopher Kozlowski mugshot All four were charged with committing an organized act of fraud and criminal use of personal identification. Kozlowski was additionally charged with possession of methamphetamine (Ocala Police Department)
Anthony Shelly-Shumate in police custody Police say they searched all four suspects and found credit cards, IDs, and even a checkbook that didn’t belong to them. Each admitted they didn’t actually know the people named on the items. (Ocala Police Department)
Anthony Shelly-Shumate mugshot All four were charged with committing an organized act of fraud and criminal use of personal identification. Shelly-Shumate was additionally charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. (Ocala Police Department)
Travis Hunter in custody According to police, Travis Hunter and Christopher Kozlowski booked the hotel room using Chelsea Mulcahy's cell phone. Then Hunter and Mulcahy got the room key using a stolen ID and paid using stolen reward points via an app. (Ocala Police Department)
Travis Hunter mugshot All four were charged with committing an organized act of fraud and criminal use of personal identification. (Ocala Police Department)
Chelsea Mulcahy in police custody According to police, Christopher Kozlowski and Travis Hunter booked the hotel room using 33-year-old Chelsea Mulcahy's cell phone. Hunter and Mulcahy got the room key using a stolen ID and paid using stolen reward points via an app. (Ocala Police Department)
Chelsea Mulcahy mugshot Mulcahy was booked into the Marion County jail with her bond set at a total of $20,000. (Ocala Police Department)
Ocala police bust 4 in organized fraud scheme Police say the 4 suspects were clearly working together as they were all seen placing their belongings in the fraudulently-obtained hotel room before officers arrived. (Ocala Police Department)
All four were charged with committing an organized act of fraud and criminal use of personal identification.
Kozlowski was additionally charged with possession of methamphetamine, and Shelly-Shumate with possession of drug paraphernalia.
They’re all being held in the Marion County jail on varying bond amounts.
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