A man who is believed to have stolen a Villager’s wallet and then going on a shopping spree has been arrested.
The Villager’s wallet had been stolen on St. Patrick’s Day from the men’s changing room at the swimming pool at Lake Miona Recreation Center.
James Wade Cason, 41, of Leesburg, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history, is facing multiple counts of identity theft in reference to two separate investigations, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Cason was taken into custody Sunday on unrelated Lake County warrants. At that time, Cason was also arrested on charges of driving while license suspended or revoked and possession of counterfeit controlled substance with intent to sell. At the time of his arrest, Cason told a deputy he had been trying to sell the phony methamphetamine in order to be able to afford to buy diapers for a child.
In addition to the theft of the Villager’s wallet, evidence uncovered by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit revealed Cason had stolen an Oxford couple’s personal information, which he used to fraudulently apply for credit cards in the victims’ names. Surveillance video and subpoenaed financial records showed Cason used the fraudulent cards for numerous purchases in Sumter, Lake, and Marion County.
Cason has been charged with a total of 13 felony counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, and one misdemeanor count of second degree petit theft. Cason was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $42,000 bond.
