On October 12th, 2023, officers responded to a Lowe's in Georgia for attempted identity theft. A man had allegedly tried to open a fraudulent business credit account using another person's information. This investigation would test officers ability to navigate language barriers and determine probable cause for arrest. 24 to 48 hours. >> How you doing? >> Hi. >> What's going on? >> Can you do me a favor and hang on for me for a second? >> Can you hang on for me for a second? >> I want you to wait here for a second. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> All right. Let's keep your hands out your pockets for me. >> No, wait there. Okay. >> Matter of fact, why don't you go have a seat over there? Okay. >> Okay. Hey, hands out. >> No, no, sit down. Sit down. Keep your hands out of your pockets, >> huh? Sit. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Who Who called it in? >> Hey, my man. You got your ID with you? >> ID in the car. >> Your ID is in the car? You hear about yourself? >> No. Just you? >> Huh? >> Just you? >> I'm just looking. No sh. No by. >> I understand. Are you by yourself? By >> yourself? >> Let's go to your car. >> Hey, we're going to walk out to his car so I can grab his ID. >> Oh, they do? Ah, here. Here. Have a seat, man. Sit down. Relax. Hey, S. Can you watch him and I'll talk with them? I haven't checked him. So, I had not checked him yet. So, just keep uh yeah, just keep an eye on him. >> Years of experience tell me just to outsmart the guy, you know. I don't even know if that's a fake idea, man. That's what he gave me. Why? >> Did he speak okay to you in English? >> No. >> No. >> No. I asked you, do you know why the police are here? >> I don't know. >> Oh, okay. >> It's got something to do with you opening up accounts. Lowe's accounts. We opening up a credit card account. >> Yeah. >> That's why we're here. >> A little cut. No big deal. What is that? Oh, you're right in my my wife. >> Oh, >> hey my man. >> Where is that? >> Let me see. >> I see that. >> Yeah. >> Where is he? >> Not in your car. You just gave it to the guy right here. Yeah. Can I see it, please? >> Thank you. Did he tell you it was in the car? >> Yeah, he did. >> So, I asked for his ID. He goes, "Oh, it's in the car." And that's what we were walking out. And then I was like, "You know what?" >> So, where's the car? >> Supposedly it's out there. All >> right. So, let's find the tag. >> Yeah. Let me check that. Sit tight with him. >> You don't have any other ID on you? >> Huh? >> You have no wallet? Nothing? >> No. Stand up for a minute. Turn around. >> What do you got here? >> Oh, there's a car. >> What? Where? Where are these for? >> Outside. >> You have any ID? >> No. >> All right. Just sit there for a minute. >> Okay. >> There's no money. >> That's all. There's nothing on here. >> Yeah. No, no, no, no. Not here. >> Oh, they're blank. >> Yeah. No money. >> Yeah, there's no money on it. >> Yeah. >> What's that? >> When he activated them here, >> you you won't be able to verify whether they're active here, right? >> Even it's not it's not your store's card, right? >> Oh, yeah. >> You have to call Huh? >> We've got to call in. >> Tell me if one of these are active. >> Just take a one. >> Oh, this one. This one. >> All right. You got So, where do these come from? Your shelf. You guys sell >> good right here. Good gift card center. >> So, you guys sell Lululemon cards here? >> I have to confirm that. Yeah, got a stack of them cards in his pocket. The guy told me uh the the manager here that we were talking to, the bigger guy, he said that they are those are currently not active. You can tell by that >> car's out there, >> huh? >> The car is out there. >> Got it. >> Yeah. >> Come back to this same guy here. >> Comes back to someone else with an Asian name. That's why I asked Rock to see if they can find a photo. >> Oh, >> is that your car outside? >> Huh? >> The car outside. >> Somebody >> Somebody else's. >> Yeah. >> Who? >> Huh? >> Who? >> My friend. >> Your friend? What's his name? >> Uh, I just English. >> Huh? >> Jason. >> I can't understand what you're saying. What's his name? Cuz name is Jason. Jason. >> Yeah. So you can write it down. >> Huh? >> You can write down his name. >> No. >> You guys don't sell them here? >> Yeah, I do. But I'm out of it. >> The ones that were on my shelf. >> Yeah, cuz he probably got him there. >> I just need this paper, man. Thank you. >> Write your friend's name down in English. >> That's the RO of the car. >> Not that one. >> Jason. His name ain't Jason. >> Whose car is it? >> We already got the information. Whose car it is? It's not this guy. >> Thanks. >> Hey, are you good here? I'm going to go check this photo out. >> Yeah, I'm good here. I want you guys to jump over here. >> Came to the wrong place if you're messing around. >> Sony, my my English is not good. Can you change the Sony? I said you came to the wrong place if you're messing around. >> Sorry. >> Okay. I'm sorry, too. What language do you speak? >> Korean. >> Chinese. >> Oh, Chinese. >> I am. >> Huh? >> It's not him. Is that who he's saying it is still? >> Yeah. I mean, to the best of my knowledge, he gave me his phone. He changed Chinese and gave me the translator. I don't know how much English he really knows to be full of [ __ ] completely. >> But uh he uh told me that this is who the guy is, and I told him he had those things in his pocket, but they're blank. >> You know, there's no value to them. You know what I mean? >> I don't know what he planned on doing. >> So, the problem is is that this ID never comes back to nothing. And that name >> So, it's a fake ID. >> It's got to be. There's a way of like uh telling there there's stuff out there that has >> books and whether or not you know it's real and it could be like totally good you know they're really good at what they do you know. >> Yeah. >> Do you present it to in certain way where you want to go consultation? >> Yeah. >> Have you ever been arrested before Chinese? It's going to go to Chinese translation. >> We we just did a fingerprint identification thing. Yeah. We don't we don't believe the license is actually a a real license. Yeah. >> Yeah. I don't think it >> is cuz it doesn't it doesn't come back when we run the number. It doesn't come back. That's why the the other officer I said I have a copy of it, but I don't know that it's going to be legit. >> Yeah. We don't we don't think it is. >> I mean, it can make them look really real and you Yeah. You know, >> never know these days, >> you know. But when we put it in our computer, it comes up that that number is not and the tag is not registered to him to register some other Asian person, but it doesn't have a photo attached to it. >> But whatever, man. He's he's like communicating with someone like like a mad hatter. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. They caught me there. There's like there's like like 10 in this group, you know. >> What's that? >> There's 10 people in this group. >> Okay. Yeah. It's probably a ring. And you know, >> if he did get locked up, someone would bail him out in no time, you know. >> Mhm. Mhm. >> I'm sure he speaks perfect English. >> Oh, of course. Of course. >> Playing the game, you know. >> So, I was telling this is really good. Like he had out with guy that was like kind of me and just sitting at a 7-Eleven at 2:00 in the morning and never been arrested for his fingerprints yet. But I used this facious thing. Boom. popped them right up. So, we were able to ID them. So, maybe this will >> pick your neck up. >> There's one bite. >> That would be his left side. And that would be his left eye. >> Yeah. >> Well, he's got them, >> but he's got more more of them there now because he's cuz he's older. No. just looks like a younger version of him, you know. >> 12. What' you say the birthday was? >> Your birthday. What's the birthday? >> Huh? >> Your birthday? >> 7:22. >> Huh? >> 722. >> July 22nd. >> What year? 1979. >> 78. This is old. This is Chinese. >> Oh, Chinese birthday. And then and then Yeah, that's [ __ ] [ __ ] >> No, there's all the Chinese. No, you're born. Where's your phone? >> The day you're born doesn't change. in Chinese will change. >> Okay. >> Everything will change. >> Right. Well, this is what I don't understand. Your English is better than what you're saying. >> You understand a lot of what I'm saying. >> So, quit doing that Google [ __ ] and talk to us. >> Yeah. Quit doing that cuz you know, you understand what I'm saying. >> Some I understand, but some I >> Okay, but there's a lot you understand. When were you born? 1978. >> 1978. >> That's 3 years difference, man. >> This is 1981. >> Yeah. Oh, why? >> And it looks fake. >> No, it is fake. You're lying. And you need to stop. You need to stop lying. Okay. >> You need to stop lying and tell us. >> Is this real? >> Is this real? >> No. >> No, it's not real. >> Okay. >> Okay. This is This is not real. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> What is your name? My name >> Name. >> Yeah, do that. >> Shingu he Okay, that's your name. >> Yeah. >> All right, let's see him so we can write that down. >> Show me the name. >> Oh, man. Stand up for me. >> Stand >> here. I got him. >> Have a seat. got to go completely off on that. >> The initial approach is controlled and professional. Under Terry versus Ohio, officers conducting an investigative detention have authority to take reasonable safety measures, including controlling the subject's movements and hand placement. The officer's priority is establishing identity, crucial in any fraud investigation. Rather than walking the suspect to his vehicle in the parking lot, the officer keeps him inside the store. This is sound tactics. better visibility, closer to backup, and no weapons access. An immediate language barrier emerges with the subject claiming limited English. This complicates the investigation and the officer's ability to obtain a voluntary statement. The officer must determine if this barrier is genuine or tactical deflection. The officer conducts a terry frisk and discovers multiple gift cards. Under the plain field doctrine, officers may seize contraband during a lawful weapon search. However, gift cards aren't inherently illegal. The question is whether these connect to the suspected fraud. The cards are inactive with no monetary value. The officers must connect them to the alleged fraud. Without evidence, the cards were activated using the fraudulent account. Their evidentiary value is limited. The vehicle registration shows a discrepancy. When asked to write down his friend's name, the suspect cannot do so. This inability to provide basic information is a significant red flag suggesting deceptive behavior. The critical break comes when the ID number returns no results in the database. Under Georgia law, all valid licenses are registered in the state system. No match is strong evidence the identification is fraudulent. This is why officers verify ID numbers rather than relying on visual inspection alone. Officers discuss the possibility of an organized fraud ring. The sophistication suggests this isn't an isolated incident. Organized retail crime and identity theft rings often involve multiple individuals exploiting retail credit systems. With the fake ID confirmed, officers turn to biometric identification. Modern fingerprint scanners allow field identification by comparing prints against criminal databases. However, this only works if the subject's prints are already in the system. The suspect claims the Chinese lunar calendar explains birthday discrepancies. However, Georgia drivers licenses use the Gregorian calendar exclusively. More significantly, the subject's English ability has noticeably improved, suggesting the language barrier may have been exaggerated. When directly confronted, the suspect admits the ID is fake. The officer obtains his actual name, Shingi Hi. Officers now have probable cause based on the store complaint, confirmed fake ID, the admission, and deceptive statements. Under Georgia code section 169121, using another's information to commit fraud satisfies identity theft charges. Shingi, he was charged with identity theft and giving false information to law enforcement. The final disposition could not be confirmed through public records. Based on the evidence, however, the charges appear well supported and likely to result in conviction or plea agreement. The officers receive a B+. They demonstrated solid investigative technique and professionalism. Database verification was textbook procedure and proved decisive, keeping the suspect inside showed good tactical awareness. They maintained professionalism despite clear deception, using patient questioning rather than intimidation. However, the Terry Frisk lacked clear articulation of safety concerns. The interview could have been more structured, particularly in documenting the language barrier and requesting a translator earlier. Overall, this was competent police work, resulting in a legitimate arrest with appropriate restraint. Shingi, he receives a D. Using fake identification when confronted by law enforcement is itself a criminal offense. Rather than remaining silent or asserting his rights, he presented fraudulent documents, compounding his problems. His language barrier appeared tactical rather than genuine. This deception undermined his credibility entirely. However, he received some credit for eventually admitting the ID was fake and remaining physically compliant, preventing escalation to additional charges. He would have been better served by remaining silent and requesting an attorney. This case demonstrates key principles for both sides. For officers, systematic ID verification proved decisive. For individuals, deception through false identification makes situations worse. The suspect could have faced only original charges, but added new ones through fake ID and false statements. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic you would like us to discuss in the comments below. Thank you for watching, and don't forget to check out our second channel, Audit the Court, for more content.