Oakland Man Sentenced to Four Years for Running Identity Theft Operation Out of Ukiah Hotel
Unlocked residential mailboxes were targeted, many in Sonoma County
An Oakland man who investigators say operated a sophisticated identity theft “factory” out of a Ukiah hotel room was sentenced last week to four years in state prison by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder.
According to according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office, James Robert Arias, 42, was sentenced Thursday to 48 months in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after pleading guilty in mid-November to felony identity theft. Arias also admitted a prior felony identity theft conviction out of El Dorado County, as well as a prior Strike conviction.
The case began in late January 2025, when the Ukiah Police Department was contacted by Los Angeles-based private investigator reporting that his credit card information was being used in Ukiah to pay for a local hotel room. According to prosecutors, hotel staff identified Arias as the individual who had checked in using the victim’s stolen credit card number and associated personal information.
After Arias was arrested, investigators searched his hotel room and found what prosecutors described as an extensive identity theft operation. Items seized included printers, laptops, tablets, credit card processing devices, and both dark-web data and stolen mail containing personal identifying information.
Authorities said the equipment and data would have allowed Arias to manufacture counterfeit credit and debit cards, counterfeit checks, and digital payment wallets using stolen Social Security numbers and other identifiers. Investigators determined he possessed personal information tied to at least 47 potential victims, many of whom live and work in Sonoma County.
The District Attorney’s Office said Arias had been targeting unlocked residential mailboxes to obtain personal information, while also harvesting data from the dark web.
Prosecutors noted that Arias has a significant criminal history. In addition to his 2021 identity theft conviction in El Dorado County, he previously served a lengthy federal prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute hard drugs. His prior Strike conviction stems from a 2020 Yuba County case involving the furnishing of hard drugs to a minor.
The investigation was conducted by the Ukiah Police Department and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney David Eyster.
Identity Theft Prevention: What Officials Recommend
The District Attorney’s Office reminds residents that identity theft remains widespread but says several basic steps can significantly reduce risk. Those include freezing your credit with the major bureaus, monitoring financial statements and credit reports regularly, securing mailboxes, shredding sensitive documents, and using strong passwords with multi-factor authentication.
Residents who suspect identity theft are encouraged to report it promptly to law enforcement and their financial institutions.