CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake couple are facing charges after authorities said they used the credit account of a person who had died and took funds from the Lake County Sheriff's Office bank account.

Jeffrey Scott Brain, 49, and Samantha Christine Angulo, 28, are the suspects in the case, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

On Wednesday, Lake County Sheriff’s Major Crimes detectives working the case served an arrest warrant in the 16000 block of 32nd Avenue in Clearlake, Brooks said.

Brooks said the arrest warrant was obtained after an extensive investigation into fraudulent activity detected on the Lake County Sheriff’s Office bank account and identity theft of a deceased person. 

The approximate dollar value lost from the sheriff’s office bank account was $1,000, while $1,671 was lost from the deceased person’s credit card, Brooks said.

A search warrant was written on First Premier Bankcard and Pacific Gas and Electric, with the information obtained from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office bank statement, according to Brooks.

Brooks said First Premier Bankcard refused to honor the search warrant because they were located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Major Crimes detectives contacted Mennehaha County States Attorney’s Office, which authored a search warrant to serve First Premier Bankcard.

The information from the search warrant revealed the person listed as the First Premier Bankcard had died months prior to the fraudulent activity taking place, Brooks said.

With the information obtained from First Premier Bankcard, Brooks said Major Crimes Unit detectives were able to obtain a telephone number associated with the card. The telephone was registered to the 1-year-old son of Brain and Angulo.

Some of the locations the fraudulent transactions took place were able to provide video surveillance and purchase receipts, verifying Angulo and Brain were responsible for using the deceased person’s credit card, Brooks said.

Based on this information, Brooks said Major Crimes Unit detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Angulo and Brain for charges of using bank account information without consent, using another person's credit card and grand theft.

On Wednesday, detectives located Angulo in the 16000 block of 32nd Avenue in Clearlake and arrested her for the warrant, Brooks said. She remained in jail on Saturday on $30,000 bail.

Brain already was in custody at the Lake County Jail for a separate weapons charges and a parole violation, Brooks said, with the new charges added against him. Brain's bail was set at $150,000 and he also remained in custody on Saturday.

If anyone has any information regarding fraudulent dealings with these two individuals, contact Major Crimes Detective Shamus Stafford at 707-262-4231.