Woman suspected of ID theft

A Madera woman is being held in Madera County Jail after evidence linked her to the forging of credit cards.

According to Madera Police Det. Nick Webster, Evette Guillen, 32, was arrested Tuesday by officers with the Special Investigations Unit during a probation search in a house on the 800 block of Bloker Street.

“When they conducted the search they found a lot of credit card-making material,” Webster said. “So they brought that person back to the police department, where I interviewed her. And we’ve been able to tie her to at least one other case so far.”

Among the material reportedly found inside was a credit card embosser, a device used to put different numbers and letters onto plastic cards, sometimes after previous numbers have been burned off. She also had a laptop in her possession, which was allegedly being used to look up credit card numbers on the internet. Webster stated that after obtaining the numbers, she would then put them, usually along with her name, or the name of the person she was making the counterfeit card for, on the card with the embosser.

Guillen, according to Webster, has admitted to purchasing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise with the fake cards, and had given fake cards to at least 10 other people. Guillen has been charged with counterfeiting, and also with violating probation.