A convicted felon accused of stealing mail in Norco and using a victim’s credit card to make purchases at retail outlets pleaded not guilty Monday to identity theft and other charges.
Jacob Andrew Williamson, 26, of Jurupa Valley was arrested last week following a traffic stop in Riverside.
Along with the identity theft count, Williamson is charged with vandalism, mail theft and possession of burglary tools.
He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 11 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
He is being held on $10,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Torres, Williamson allegedly pried open a community mailbox in the 1400 block of Valley Drive, near Rock Vista Park, and took an undisclosed quantity of mail on the night of July 18.
He immediately went on a spending spree, using a credit card sent to one of the residents on Valley to make multiple purchases at different stores, Torres alleged.
The ensuing investigation allegedly confirmed that Williamson was the individual conducting the fraudulent transactions, according to Torres.
About 9 p.m. Tuesday, patrol deputies spotted Williamson’s car traveling through the intersection of La Sierra and Magnolia avenues in Riverside and signaled him to stop, which he did. He was taken into custody without incident, Torres said.
According to court records, Williamson has prior convictions for auto theft, receiving stolen property and bringing drugs into a penal institution.