Police Say Man May Be Part of Fraud Ring

Police have arrested an Anaheim man who sometimes goes by the name of the late rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn, holding him on suspicion of credit card fraud in what they say may be be the tip of a major fraud ring.

Police are asking the public for more information about Steven Gerald, 25, who also uses the names Steven Ray Vaughn and Christopher Bellegia.

Gerald was arrested Thursday at a Fullerton Airborne Express office where he went to pick up computer equipment allegedly purchased with stolen credit card numbers, said Anaheim Police Sgt. Pattie Wasielewski.

The IRS is investigating Gerald in connection with suspected telemarketing fraud, Wasielewski said. He also has $130,000 worth of outstanding warrants from the Irvine and Santa Ana police departments and the IRS, also for suspected fraud.

“I know this is part of a bigger ring,” Wasielewski said. “We are just looking for more information . . . . We know some of the other players, but we don’t know how many or how big.”

Gerald was present during recent arrests on another case involving $100,000 worth of alleged credit card fraud, but he was not arrested in that case, she said.

In this case, he is suspected of ordering $4,000 worth of computer equipment from around the country with stolen credit card numbers. The computer equipment was shipped to various locations in Anaheim and Fullerton.

Anyone with additional information should call Anaheim Det. Mel Vyborney, at 254-1954.

Wasielewski said his use of the name Steven Ray Vaughn caught her attention, because the IRS had mentioned that alias to her.

“It’s funny,” she said. “I’ve had a case before where a guy said he was Jim Morrison.”