MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (KOIN 6) – Detectives with the Gresham Police Department have arrested a man on allegations that he used his father’s identity to open bank and credit accounts to rack up more than $20,000 in debt, according to court documents.
David Wayne Vadbunker, 43, is charged with two counts of aggravated first-degree theft and four counts of identity theft. Deputy district attorney Ryan Lufkin wrote in court documents that Vadbunker and his father are estranged. On Oct. 21, 2013, Vadbunker used his father’s social security number to open a checking account at Bank of the West, court documents state.
In July 2013, Vadbunker is accused of opening a credit card account using this father’s social security account. During a two month time period, learned that Vadbunker racked up $20,115 in debt, court documents state.
The fraudulent activity was discovered by the victim earlier this month, court documents state.
American Express reportedly sent the victim notice in August telling him that an account had been opened in his name and that $59 had been charged to the account, court records show. Later that month, Discover Card called Vadbunker’s father and alerted him that another account had been opened using his identity, court documents state.
Court records show that Vadbunker “admitted that he opened a credit card with American Express using (his father’s) identity, that he opened the credit account with Bank of the West using the victim’s identity and that he attempted to open the Discover account with the victim’s identity,” Lufkin wrote.
Thursday, Gresham police executed a search warrant and found Bank of the West cards in the victim’s name and several guns, rifles and shotguns. Lufkin said that Vadbunker is a convicted felon.
Records show Vadbunker lives in Willamina, Ore. He works at a security company in McMinnville, where he was arrested. KOIN 6 News spoke with Vadbunker’s boss on the phone. Because of the company has no involvement in the case, and because of the nature of business, KOIN 6 News is not identifying the company.
But, the security firm’s owner said, “if found guilty, these kind of allegations can be a career killer in our line of work.” He added that he “strongly believes in the rule of law,” and wanted to wait before commenting more.