Elmira, NY – A 41-year-old Elmira man has been arrested after authorities say he used another person’s credit card information to bail an inmate out of the Chemung County Jail last month.
According to the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, Tyler K. Blakeslee was arrested on Tuesday for identity theft in the second degree, a Class E felony. Investigators said Blakeslee allegedly used someone else’s name and billing information on August 4 to pay for the release of an incarcerated individual.
Sheriff’s officials said the case began on August 15, when jail administrators received a complaint from a representative of GovPayNet, a payment service provider. The victim, who owned the credit card, confirmed they had not authorized Blakeslee to use the card for bail purposes, nor to use their personal details on the payment system.
The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division determined Blakeslee had no permission to access or use the account. The victim reportedly never gave him consent to use either the financial or personal information.
Blakeslee was also found to have an active arrest warrant out of the City of Elmira Court, deputies said. He was issued an appearance ticket and is expected to return to Elmira City Court at a later date.
Authorities did not disclose the identity of the inmate who was released with the fraudulent payment.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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