Two Arrested in St. Francois County Credit Card Fraud Case with Homeland Security Ties

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A stop-and-hold alert was issued Monday, September 8, for a black BMW SUV with California plates in connection with a credit card fraud investigation originating in Arnold.

According to the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department, deputies received information that the vehicle’s occupants were purchasing merchandise at big box retailers using stolen credit card numbers. Homeland Security officials had been tracking the suspects as they traveled from California across multiple states. A deputy located the SUV traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 67 and initiated a traffic stop near Karsch Boulevard and Maple Valley Drive with assistance from Farmington Police.

The driver was identified as Baoguo Ding, and the passenger as Zehe Li, both temporary residents of California. Authorities later confirmed both individuals are citizens of China and were unlawfully present in the United States.

Due to a language barrier, Ding and Li used a phone-based translation device to communicate with officers and fully complied with commands.

They were transported to the St. Francois County Adult Detention Center, where ICE detainers were issued. Both were later transferred into federal custody.