A Centralia man faces multiple felony charges after he allegedly stole a debit card from the home of a hospitalized man and used it until the card was declined.
James W. Lowther, 49, is charged with one count each of second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, first-degree identity theft and possession of a controlled substance.
Lowther made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. A judge set bail at $50,000 cash or bond.
According to court documents, Lowther’s criminal history includes convictions for second-degree robbery, second-degree assault and residential burglary, among other offenses.
Centralia police began investigating in September after a woman reported several possible burglaries occurring since August. The woman told police her ex-husband’s debit account was frozen because of some 15 fraudulent transactions.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the transactions included purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants, along with a $1,060 transaction at the Ilani Casino Resort.
The woman said she’d been helping her ex-husband with his financial affairs. The man was reportedly hospitalized on Aug. 4 and later transferred to a nursing facility.
During the man’s stay, a neighbor had been mowing his lawn and feeding his dog. The neighbor told the woman he’d seen a car parked by the home several times. The car’s occupants had allegedly told the neighbor they were DoorDash drivers.
Upon discovering the transactions, the woman went to the home to find the back door open. Inside, she found many items missing. Gone were her ex-husband’s wallet, debit card, driver’s license and laptop, along with a box of important documents that included vehicle titles.
On Sept. 26, officers responded to a reported trespass at the home. They found two men who reportedly said they’d been told by Lowther to check on the home.
According to the affidavit, the men told the officers Lowther had said “he had a family member that recently passed away and he needed someone to go to his house to check on his dog.”
The woman told police she did not know Lowther; her ex-husband’s bank records, however, showed an attempted transfer to a CashApp account named "james low ther," according to the affidavit.
On Oct. 1, a detective with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe told police a man had presented identification belonging to Lowther during a transaction at the Ilani Casino Resort.
Police spoke to Lowther on the phone on Oct. 4. Lowther reportedly said he knew the hospitalized man through a friend.
During the conversation, Lowther allegedly admitted to using the man’s debit card, “because he was going through rough times and was hungry,” according to the affidavit.
Lowther allegedly said his friend had told him the man had died and the house was abandoned.
“Mr. Lowther stated they went over to the house and walked through it, locating (the man’s) debit card and wallet,” the affidavit said.
Upon Lowther’s arrest, officers reportedly found suspected methamphetamine.
Lowther is scheduled for an arraignment on Oct. 8.
