Police: Man ran fake credit card operation out of Beaverton motel room

BEAVERTON, OR (KPTV) -

Police said a man was making counterfeit credit cards in a Beaverton motel room and then using those cards to buy prepaid gift cards.

The Beaverton Police Department's investigation began when officers checking out a suspicious car with California license plates at the motel determined the man who was driving it was using a fake driver's license to rent the room.

Detectives determined the man stole the identity of someone in California and using that identity obtained a $40,000 loan to buy the car, a 2007 Mercedes CL 550.

When officers arrested 40-year-old Thomas Geter of California on Sunday, they found he was running a counterfeit credit card operation out of the hotel room.

Detectives said they confiscated fake credit cards, devices to make those cards, more than $13,000 in prepaid gift cards, about $1,800 in cash and other evidence.

Detectives said it appeared Geter bought the gift cards from numerous stores, including Home Depot, Safeway, Albertsons, Walgreens and Rite-Aid.

Police said Geter was the only one involved in the counterfeit operation at the hotel room but he might have been working with someone in California.

He was arraigned Monday on charges of identity theft and unlawful use of a vehicle.

He is due back in court Nov. 24.

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Police: Man ran fake credit card operation out of Beaverton motel room