Reseda Man Is Held in Credit Card Scheme

Detectives investigating a suspected cocaine dealer found no drugs, but instead stumbled onto a major credit card fraud operation in a Reseda apartment, authorities said Saturday.

Harvey Reed Jr., 45, of Los Angeles was arrested about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after detectives found 51 stolen credit cards, a card-embossing machine, a camera used to take identification-style photos, several false identification cards and hundreds of credit card receipts in Reed’s apartment, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Sheriff’s narcotics detectives were following tips that Reed was a major cocaine dealer and followed him to the San Fernando Valley, Deputy George Ducoulombier said.

Reed was arrested after detectives watched him make what appeared to be a drug deal with two women at Reseda and Burbank boulevards, Ducoulombier said.

Reed was carrying two grams of methadone when he was arrested, Ducoulombier said. Methadone, a drug used by narcotics addicts in treatment programs, is illegal if possessed without a valid prescription.

The women, Regina Merceron, 38, and Maria Rincones, 40, who also were arrested, had stolen credit cards in their possession, Ducoulombier said.

He said that after the arrests, detectives went to Reed’s apartment a few blocks away in the 18300 block of Collins Street, where they found the array of forgery equipment. Credit cards from various companies, numerous forged California driver’s licenses, fake birth certificates and other forms of bogus identification cards were also found, Ducoulombier said.

Reed was being held in West Hollywood Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail on suspicion of credit card forgery, unlawful credit card possession, receiving stolen property and illegal possession of methadone.