LAYTON, Utah, April 7, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Two men were booked into the Davis County jail Saturday after an Arizona woman called Layton police to say her credit cards were being used fraudulently at a Layton hotel.
Police went to the Comfort Inn and contacted the residents of three rooms that had been paid for fraudulently. Court records have been filed for two of the men.
Marques Anthony Crane, 40, was jailed for investigation of:
- Two counts of forgery, a third-degree misdemeanor
- Three counts of unlawful acquire/possess/transfer of financial card, a third-degree felony
- Unlawfully possess ID of another, docs of 3-99 individuals, a third-degree felony
- 14 counts of theft/receiving, value less than $500, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of controlled substances schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Sam Aina, 31, who was traveling with a small child, was jailed for investigation of:
- Three counts of forgery, a third-degree felony
- Possession of forgery/writing device, a third-degree felony
- Endangerment of child or vulnerable adult, a third-degree felony
- Possession of controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by restricted person, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
The Arizona card owner informed police her credit card had been used without her permission to pay for multiple items, including hotel rooms and movie tickets.
A search of the room registered to Crane yielded illegal property, including 14 checks written from and to multiple different companies, pieces of mail not belonging to anyone involved with this case, financial transaction cards belonging to other victims, checks that appear to have been altered or washed, five different identities belonging to other people, Medicaid cards, medical ID cards, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, a Layton Police statement says.
“Of the 14 checks located, two appeared to have been altered or erased. Marking on the check appeared as if someone tried to erase names on it. No other persons were located in the room.”
Post Miranda, Crane declined to speak with police, but he did provide the passcode to his phone.
Aina was located in another of the illegally rented rooms, with his child in the bathroom. Drugs and paraphernalia were found in the room, his affidavit says.
“Sam alleged post Miranda, that he and his child were offered a dirty hotel room for the night after checking in around 7:30 p.m. on 4/5/2024,” his affidavit says. “He also admitted to being a former drug user, specifically methamphetamine and marijuana. The crystalline substance was field tested and showed positive for methamphetamine. Drug paraphernalia was also located in the bathroom near the methamphetamine.”
According to the statement, the officer confirmed with the front desk how the process of checking Aina and his child into the room was completed. The officer was told the “original person who booked the room unlawfully, claimed that Aina was one of their employees and verified the last four (digits) of the fraudulently used credit card that was used to book the room.” The credit card was not known to be fraudulent at that time.
The drugs in the bathroom were accessible to the child, the officer’s statement says. Aina denied bringing drugs into the room, and told police he had been staying with his mother, but later said he hadn’t stayed with her for more than a year because of “issues.”
“Aina’s story was very difficult to understand and follow,” the officer noted.
Among other items found in his room, the police report says, were a fake $2 bill, two “motion purpose $100 bills, three checks that appeared to be forged, meth, drug paraphernalia, a straight blade Rambo style knife, two checks written for several hundred dollars that Aina said were written to him by someone he knew as “Fish,” and another check for about $1,600 from a Utah building contractor.
Both men were ordered to be held without bail in the Davis County jail.
