Homeless Man Traveled U.S. for 20 Years With Stolen Credit Card Information
Oct. 25, 2012 — -- A homeless man "sick of running" told police that he had spent two decades memorizing credit card numbers and using them to fraudulently stay in hotels across the country, according to police.
Jeffrey Hawkins, 49, was confronted by police on Oct. 23 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for previously trespassing there.
ABC News and Walt Disney World Resorts are both owned by the Walt Disney Company.
"At that time rather than speak about the trespassing Hawkins started speaking about credit card fraud," Orange County Sheriff's Officer Frank DelGuercio wrote in a police report.
After being read his Miranda rights and deciding to waive those rights, Hawkins told authorities he wanted to talk because he was "sick of running."
"Hawkins then began to confess that he has been committing credit card fraud since the 90s," DelGuercio wrote. "He stated that he has been homeless and jobless since then and has just been traveling the country using and obtaining other people's credit card numbers."
Hawkins told police he was able to remember and then write down credit card numbers and expiration dates that he would see or hear.
A Disney security investigator told police that Hawkins was the man they had filed reports about in reference to at least 26 separate incidents of credit card fraud totaling over $18,000, according to the police report.
During a search of Hawkins' room, authorities found "numerous" credit card authorization forms, receipts from hotels, business cards and paperwork, according to the report. The paperwork had lists of over 100 credit card numbers and expiration dates. He also had three phones.
"I found numerous cards, recepits and other items indicating that Hawkins has been up and down the East Coast doing the same thing," DelGuercio wrote.
He was charged with trafficking in stolen credit cards, false statements, fraudulent use of credit cards and defrauding an innkeeper.
Hawkins is being held on a $2,900 bond. His inmate records did not indicate that he has attained an attorney.
