Culver man gets nearly 6 years in federal prison for ID theft, fraud spree

Had been arrested numerous times, released each time

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 29-year-old Culver man was sentenced Thursday to 57 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release for a year-long identity theft and fraud spree that spanned seven Oregon counties and cheated more than 100 people, businesses, financial institutions and communities out of $190,000.

According to court documents, investigators first learned of Garrett Luke Pruitt Rexroad’s conduct in April and May of 2017, when he used a stolen credit card to reserve several Portland hotel rooms.

When police arrested him, he possessed an identification card and 26 credit and debit cards in the name of a single victim. He was charged in Multnomah County Circuit Court and released from custody, prosecutors said.

Between May and August of 2017, while on pre-trial release, Pruitt Rexroad made several more fraudulent transactions in Lane County and Redmond, using the stolen credit card information of three more victims, officials said. He was arrested, charged in Lane County Circuit Court, and again released from custody.

On Nov. 6, 2017, Pruitt Rexroad led law enforcement from several agencies on a high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle from Seaside to Astoria while under the influence of methamphetamine and alprazolam, prosecutors said.

After driving over a spike strip, he abandoned the car and ran. Police continued to pursue and eventually arrested Pruitt Rexroad.

Officers searched the stolen vehicle and found a wallet containing the driver’s license of another victim, 50 credit cards in different names, credit card readers, lists of credit card numbers, an unloaded .22-caliber handgun and $200 in cash.

Pruitt Rexroad was charged in Clatsop County Circuit Court and, after posting bond, was released from custody a third time.

Pruitt Rexroad’s crime spree continued just two weeks later, prosecutors said, when he used a stolen credit card to rent two hotel rooms in Lake Oswego.

Police searched the abandoned rooms and found copies of fraudulent Oregon driver’s licenses, bags of stolen mail, and packaging for prepaid debit cards.

Between Nov. 22 and Dec. 20 of 2017, Pruitt Rexroad used fraudulent credit cards to purchase more than $1,600 in cigarettes from several Plaid Pantry stores in the Portland area. Then, on Dec. 6, 2017, he stole an ATM containing approximately $10,000 from a McMenamins hotel in Gearhart.

Pruitt Rexroad was arrested on Dec. 24, 2017 in West Linn in possession of a stolen vehicle after a concerned citizen reported seeing him steal a license plate from a neighbor’s truck.

Upon his arrest, Pruitt Rexroad possessed a laptop, credit card writer and a single credit card used to make several other phone fraudulent credits cards. The stolen vehicle was found to contain various burglary tools, a large saw, cutting blades, ski mask, hand truck, a can of mace and marijuana.

A search of Pruitt Rexroad’s laptop revealed additional evidence of fraudulent retail purchases and identity theft crime. On Jan. 10, 2018, he was charged in Clackamas County Circuit Court and released from custody a fourth time.

Between March and May of 2018, Pruitt Rexroad’s continued criminal conduct resulted in additional charges in Washington, Umatilla and Hood River counties. He was repeatedly released from custody, only to commit further crimes, prosecutors said.

Finally, on May 25, 2018, Hood River police found Pruitt Rexroad and three others at the side of a road, removing tires from a stolen vehicle. The officers arrested him after a short chase on foot.

Pruitt-Rexroad has been in custody ever since.

On Oct. 7, 2019, Pruitt Rexroad pleaded guilty to one count each of access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of unauthorized access devices.

During Thursday's sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Pruitt Rexroad to pay $55,824 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Astoria Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office, Forest Grove Police Department, Gearhart Police Department, Gresham Police Department, Hood River Police Department, Lake Oswego Police Department, Oregon City Police Department, Oregon State Police, Port of Portland Police Department, Portland Police Bureau, Redmond Police Department, Sandy Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and West Linn Police Department. It was prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.