September 23, 2009
Brandon Haught
Public Information Office

USE OF STOLEN CREDIT CARDS LEADS DEPUTIES TO THIEF

A car burglar learned a lesson the hard way: don’t use stolen credit cards to make purchases online in conjunction with your own name and phone number. Doing so makes it rather easy for law enforcement to find you. Donald Moore now faces several charges such as burglary and grand theft after Volusia County deputies followed his trail of purchases at a gas station and on the Internet. The 21-year-old DeLand man is also a suspect in other car burglary cases, which could lead to yet more charges.

Deputy David King investigated a car burglary early Tuesday morning on Magnolia Drive in DeLand. The victim reported that her purse had been stolen out of her unlocked vehicle. In the purse were some credit cards and other financial possessions. When the victim checked with her credit card company, she was told that the stolen card had been used overnight at two gas stations, a movie rental kiosk and online. Deputy King went to one of the gas stations and viewed surveillance video of the man who used the credit card and also obtained a suspect description from the on duty clerk. Next, investigator David McNamara spoke with a representative of one of the online businesses who told the deputy that the purchaser was Donald Moore, and also provided an address and phone number.

With all of that evidence nailed down, deputy King and investigator McNamara talked with Moore, who admitted that he had been in the Daytona Park Estates area on previous evenings looking for unlocked vehicles and stealing items out of them. He also admitted to using the stolen credit cards obtained from the Magnolia Street car burglary. Moore then allowed the deputies to search his room where three car stereos and other stolen credit cards were found. Deputies will continue their investigative work into other area car burglaries based on the property recovered from Moore’s room, and could clear several recent cases and identify other possible suspects.

Moore was charged with grand theft, illegal use of credit cards, and two counts of burglary. He could also face additional charges in other burglaries. Moore was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.