Couple charged in unemployment card use case

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Two people have been charged in Custer County District Court for multiple counts of unauthorized use of an unemployment credit card.

Sean Benjamin Tarver, of Elk City, and Kamber Tennile Caulkins, of Clinton, were charged on several counts of unauthorized credit card use and taking or receiving a stolen unemployment credit card, according to the Oklahoma Probable Cause Affidavit. The victim lost a total of $3,166.

Tarver is facing 10 counts in total. Nine of the counts are unauthorized use of a credit card, and one count of taking/receiving a stolen credit or debit card.

Caulkins faces two counts of unauthorized use of a credit card and one count of taking/receiving a stolen credit or debit card.

Tarver used an ATM inside Sugar Creek Casino and had a total of three transactions totaling $472. Another transaction was made at a Shell Service Gas Station for $33.51. His next transaction was made at Family Dollar for $58.71. Seven more transactions were made at Dollar General within 9 minutes totaling up to $473.84, court records indicate.

About 2 hours later, five transactions were made at Weatherford Wal-Mart for a total of 974.90. Between 9:20 p.m. and 9:26 p.m. Another charge of $212.12 was spent at Homeland in Clinton. At 10:13 p.m., $50.25 was spent at Lucky Star Casino, according to court records.

The next day, $21 was spent at the Shell Service Gas Station in Clinton. Then, $286.15 was spent at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 1:08 a.m. at 1:11 a.m. $10.05 was spent at Phillips 66. Two more transactions were made at the Shell Service Gas Station for a total of $83.06. Four more transactions were made at Weatherford Walmart for $490.22, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Caulkins only was charged for the counts she was involved in, those counts being the $974.90 spent at Wal-Mart, the $490.22 spent and Wal-Mart, and a charge for taking or receiving a stolen credit card, according to court records.

Authorities first went to Hampton Inn in search of the suspects. The Hampton Inn provided authorities with a signed receipt. The receipt had a vehicle description and signed signature from Tarver. The vehicle description was in fact the vehicle Tarver was driving at the time. When authorities explained to the victim the suspect might be Tarver. The victim claimed Tarver as an acquaintance and identified Caulkins as Tarver’s girlfriend, court records indicate.

August 22, authorities contacted the Lucky Star Casino, the Sugar Creek Casino, and the Phillips 66 gas station looking for video surveillance. None of the three businesses could provide footage of the suspect. Homeland, Dollar General and Family Dollar all happened to have surveillance of an adult male matching the description of Tarver, according to court records.

A female also was found on surveillance which matched the description of Caulkins. Authorities were able to get ahold of Caulkins when calling. Caulkins was very cooperative on the phone call. She said Tarver and herself were dating at the time the card was used. Caulkins said she was under the impression the card was Tarver’s. She said she only was with Tarver during the time of the Wal-Mart transactions. Caulkins said she never knew the card wasn’t Tarver’s and the pin on the card is the same pin Tarver used for everything. Caulkins agreed to meet with authorities on a later date, court records indicate.

August 25 is the day authorities and Caulkins agreed to meet. Caulkins identified Tarver and herself in the Wal-Mart surveillance footage. Caulkins told authorities of a phone conversation in which Tarver admitted his involvement. Caulkins was then arrested on her active warrant and sent to jail without incident, according to court records.

August 27, Authorities got in phone contact with Tarver. Tarver said he wouldn’t be available for an in-person interview for several days. On the phone Tarver allegedly gave a full-detail confession. Tarver admitted his involvement in using an unemployment credit card without permission. Tarver admitted getting the card from another source who he didn’t name. Tarver admitted using the card at all businesses and agreed to turn himself in if contacted, according to court records.