Pair to Be Arraigned in Stolen Check Forgery

A couple have been jailed on suspicion of using stolen personal checks for a weeklong, $7,500 shopping spree at stores between Simi Valley and Santa Barbara, authorities said Tuesday.

Stephanie Standley, 24, and Kerry Johnson, 28, were each being held on $25,000 bail after their arrests Monday afternoon at the Vagabond Inn in Oxnard, Sheriff’s Det. Robert Thomas said.

“A victim has to go through a lot of turmoil to fix the problems caused by this,” the detective said of credit problems that can be caused by forgery.

Both Standley and Johnson have prior arrests on suspicion of forgery, and Johnson had been wanted on four drug-related arrest warrants, Thomas said. The couple are scheduled to be arraigned in Municipal Court today.

The arrests capped a two-month investigation into the burglaries of eight storage units at A to Z Self Storage on Goldman Avenue in Moorpark, Thomas said, adding that Standley had been renting a space at the business.

Stolen from one unit were checkbooks from three closed accounts at a credit union. Other stolen items included a television, computer printers and cassette players. Two handguns, a rifle and ammunition were also taken.

Most of the stolen goods were probably given away or sold on the street, the detective said.

Authorities believe that in late December and early January, Standley and Johnson allegedly used the stolen checks to purchase clothing, jewelry, compact discs, food, tires and toys at department and drug stores.

Detectives said they got a break in the case when employees at a Simi Valley toy store obtained the license plate number of Standley’s car and then later identified the pair in a photo lineup, Thomas said.

During a search of the couple’s motel room Monday, deputies found one of the stolen checkbooks, several fraudulent identification documents, a small amount of methamphetamine and mail that had been stolen from boxes in Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Barbara.