Local man arrested after police find stolen bank cards in traffic stop

POCATELLO — A local man who allegedly had three bank cards not belonging to him was arrested in a car that had the wrong plates, police say.

Douglas Hawkins, 49, was pulled over for an expired vehicle registration when officers found that the vehicle he was driving did not match the description linked to the license plates displayed. During a search of the vehicle, officers also found three bank cards belonging to two separate victims, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Officers from the Pocatello Police Department pulled Hawkins over near the intersection of West Alameda Road and Gray Avenue around 11 p.m. Thursday.

While checking the registration of the vehicle, dispatchers told the officer that the vehicle description linked to the license plate number did not match the one provided by the officer. The officer also learned Hawkins’ driver’s license had been suspended.

When asked about this, Hawkins told the officer that he had recently bought the vehicle and had not yet changed the license plates.

While looking into the vehicle, the officer noticed a second set of license plates on the passenger side floorboard. Hawkins said the plates belonged to a friend, but the name did match the one linked to the vehicle to which the plates belonged.

Hawkins consented to a search of the vehicle.

During the search, officers found a black book containing three bank cards, two of which belonged to one person. Hawkins told officers that the book belonged to the same friend responsible for the license plates found in the vehicle.

Officers also found the paperwork that would often accompany a new card mailed to a cardholder.

When one of the cardholders was contacted by police, they told officers that they had not received a new card in the mail but that their current card was nearing expiration.

Hawkins told officers that his friend occasionally called him to pick up a stack of mail and that these items were included in one such stack.

He was arrested and booked at Bannock County Jail. According to court records, he is charged with misdemeanor driving without privileges and two felony counts of fraudulent possession of a bank card. He also faces two infractions of displaying a false registration card and driving without insurance.

He was released on his own recognizance the following day.

Combined, the felony charges carry up to 10 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing June 2.