Suspect Arrested in Oceanside in Federal Express Impostor Scam

A man who is suspected of defrauding at least 50 people in the county out of cash by posing as a Federal Express employee was arrested last week by Oceanside police.

William M. Renick, 46, has been charged with second-degree burglary and is being held in the County Jail in Vista.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Chris Pettine said Renick, if convicted, could be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of the charges.

Renick is ineligible for bail because he skipped parole in Vista in 1987, Pettine said.

Renick allegedly entered TMH Video in Oceanside last week and claimed he had a Federal Express package from the Franchise Tax Board with $18.50 in COD charges. The owner, Caroline Mishler, signed for the package and paid Renick.

After Renick left the store, Mishler discovered the package contained nothing but blank 1989 tax forms.

First Lt. Marine Jay Rothmeyer was in the store during the transaction, and, when he left, spotted Renick a short distance away.

“I just confronted him and told him that this woman who’d been ripped off felt bad,” said Rothmeyer, who is stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Rothmeyer said he escorted Renick back to the store and waited for police to arrive. Although the Marine never had to physically restrain Renick, Rothmeyer said he blocked the exit of the store twice when Renick tried to leave.

Renick has allegedly committed similar crimes in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and several San Diego County communities, San Diego Police Detective Tom Vanloon, who has been tracking the scam for five months, said.