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Court Documents Shed Light on Keyes Arrest for Access Device Fraud in Koenig CaseKeyes withdrew money repeatedly with a stolen debit card across several statesRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Court documents released late Thursday detail the series of events leading up to the first arrest in the kidnapping case of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig. Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety officers and FBI agents arrested 34-year-old Israel Keyes last week in Lufkin, Texas, and Anchorage police said Keyes faces one count of access device fraud in connection with Koenig’s abduction from the Common Grounds espresso stand at Tudor and Old Seward on February 1. According to a sealed FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court, Keyes was in possession of a stolen debit card and multiple rolls of cash when he was taken into custody. The card had been reported stolen by a male referred to as “person A” the morning of February 2, just hours after Koenig was last seen. The man told law enforcement officers he had seen another man wearing a ski mask and dark clothing searching through his vehicle, and believed his debit card was taken during the incident. Nearly a month later, on the morning of February 28, a security camera recorded an unidentified light-skinned man using the card to attempt to withdraw $600 from a Midtown ATM. The transaction was rejected because it exceeded the daily withdrawal limit, but later that night the same individual was recorded using the card to withdraw $500 from a West Anchorage ATM. Shortly afterwards, in the early morning hours of February 29, a person believed to be the same man withdrew another $500 from another ATM in East Anchorage. It was the last withdrawal in Anchorage, but more than a week later, another security camera captured a man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, glasses, a gray facemask, gloves, blue jeans and white shoes withdrawing $400 with the stolen debit card from an ATM in Wilcox, Arizona. According to camera footage, the man appeared to be driving a white Ford Focus sedan, and on March 8, just a few hours later, another $400 withdrawal was attempted with the stolen card at an ATM in Lordsburg, New Mexico. The transaction was again denied because it exceeded daily withdrawal limits, and just one minute later, a balance inquiry into the same account was conducted from the Lordsburg ATM. The balance shown was nearly $3,600, and a minute later another $80 was withdrawn from the same account using the same ATM. The withdrawals continued over the next several days, totaling more than $2,300 and tracing a pattern through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The white Ford Focus sedan bearing Texas license plates and associated with the withdrawals was finally tracked to a Quality Inn & Suites in Lufkin. A white man later identified as Keyes was seen exiting the hotel on the morning of March 13, placing some personal items in the trunk and driving away. An hour later, Keyes was pulled over outside a Lufkin restaurant for speeding. He told the Texas State Highway Patrol officer he had flown from Anchorage to Las Vegas on March 7 and rented the sedan to drive to a wedding in Wells, Texas. The affidavit reports Keyes became increasingly confrontational, and could not explain his route or the details of his trip. In the front seat of his car officers observed multiple maps with highlighted routes through California, Arizona and New Mexico, rolls of cash in the car door and a pair of white tennis shoes. A search of the car revealed the stolen debit card, a gray hooded sweatshirt, glasses and a facemask made from a piece of a gray t-shirt. Keyes was taken into custody at a federal facility in Texas, and U.S Attorney Karen Loeffler said the U.S. Marshals will fly him back to Alaska at an undisclosed date. A representative for the U.S Attorney’s Office in Anchorage could not be reached for comment on whether Keyes is believed to have stolen the card in the first place, or on the connection between Koenig, the card and Keyes. Read the entire affidavit by clicking here. |
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playfair said on Sunday, Mar 25 at 3:56 AM
anybody ever think its they same guy in the video? and thats how they are linking him?
85515886maybe said on Saturday, Mar 24 at 9:44 PM
The card may be stolen from the Dad. How does he know the PIN. It's possible he took the father's card then the daughter and forced her to tell him the PIN. This tale sounds like it has more turns. Maybe he sold drugs or the two sold drugs and she told him that she has the PIN. Maybe this was how he was to get his money back for the drug deal gone wrong.
85507524tcaros said on Saturday, Mar 24 at 5:43 PM
In one picture Samantha is wearig a marijuana bandana on her head. Maybe this is all drug related.
85497906suzetjones said on Saturday, Mar 24 at 1:27 PM
more will be revealed---lots of missing pieces along with missing girl---time will tell
85485805Anonymous said on Saturday, Mar 24 at 11:20 AM
reading some of these comments is proof to me that trial by jury is not always the way to go.... im not saying this guy is guilty of this young girls abduction or not, there is simply NOT enough to make that decision. I would say that its a darn good idea that the FBI is involved and that limited amount of details/info is being released to the public. too many criminals are on the streets reoffending because of our seriously flawed justice system... lets leave all this to the professionals. and PRAY that she's found and the right person is caught and punished. my heart goes out to the family of this girl. I still pray she's found alive.
85479236glaciergold said on Saturday, Mar 24 at 7:24 AM
well now. I think the police are doing a fine job. If you go back and read this with a open mind you might understand why they tracked him and maybe who person A proble is. Doh got it yet?
85462956Wes said on Friday, Mar 23 at 4:16 PM
What's the matter with waterboarding, or pulling out fingernails. A young lady has been missing for almost 2 months. My daughter and I would have the answer by now: no cops needed.
85421104Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 23 at 2:47 PM
There are some obvious information gaps here. Why did the man who witnessed his car being broken into and noticed his ATM card stolen, who keeps their ATM in their car in the first place, no report the stolen card to the bank, or for that matter how did the man use the card or get the PIN. Second how did Person A not notice thousands of dollars being withdrawn from their banks account? And last what does this have to do with Koenig. It was originally reported that Keyes had something in his card linking him to the case? Well? All this shows is Keyes probably is guilty of device fraud, but it's very suspicious that Person A didn't try to stop the action of his car being broken into, report the card stolen from the bank, change his PIN number and that no money was taken out of the bank for almost a month after the card was taken. Strange, very strange.
85414236Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 23 at 1:46 PM
so that tells me he stole a card and went on a joy ride...the question is where is the girl? witnesses pin point his actions to car theft...that leaves him free to walk on murder, kidnapping...IF he committed the crimes...now what the FEDS should do is sent the CRIMINAL MINDS unit up to see what this guy knows...may be he knows something, did it, watched it done, and took the money and ran...either way find out and go around the folks he knows...
85408916cooljulie said on Friday, Mar 23 at 1:45 PM
Just what I was thinking! What is the point of the article when NO connection has been shown yet?
85408864Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 23 at 12:42 PM
"Anchorage police said Keyes faces one count of access device fraud in connection with Koenig’s abduction" BUT " the U.S Attorney’s Office in Anchorage could not be reached for comment on whether Keyes is believed to have stolen the card in the first place, or on the connection between Koenig, the card and Keyes." So what we have here is a NON NEWS ITEM!
85402826Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 23 at 12:34 PM
Way to parrot the adn
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