Deputies arrest fraud suspects in Pike

Pike County Sheriff’s Office Investigators arrested three suspects in an attempted credit card fraud scheme on Dec. 12 at a local business.Employees of two different businessess received phone calls from an unknown individual wanting to make large purchases over the telephone using a credit card. The caller identified himself as a business owner from another state that was in town and needed to obtain the items for a local job they were completing. The business employees became suspicous and contacted the Sheriff’s Office.Investigators were able to ascertain that the credit card number that was being used had not been authorized for the purchases by the cardholder. When the three suspects arrived to pick up their expected purchase they were confronted and taken into custody by deputies.The three suspects, Johnquavious Patillo, 23, Johnny Patillo, 45, and Tracy Johnson, 23, all of LaGrange, face numerous counts of identity theft and credit card fraud in Georgia and Alabama.Further investigation into the trio’s activities have revealed that they had purchased a zero turn lawn mower in Spalding County just before arriving in Pike County with a stolen credit card number. Purchases in the Auburn, Alabama area were also dtermined to have been made by fraudulent means.Investigators collaberated with LaGrange Police Department officers to conduct a search warrant on the Patillo residence in Lagrange. The search warrant resulted in charges of Trafficking Cocaine being brought against Johnquavious Patillo in Troup County.All three suspects are currently in the Pike County Jail facing charges of Identity Theft, Financial transaction card fraud and bringing stolen property across state lines. Additional charges are forthcoming from the other involved juridictions which will result in their extradition to Alabama at a later date.