DOCUMENT-SHREDDING DRIVER CHARGED IN GRAND THEFT

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –

Investigators from Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS), have arrested a suspect in a grand theft in which driver of a document-shredding truck allegedly inflated the weight of confidential papers he was shredding, creating fraudulent billing for services not actually performed.

The suspect was identified as 43-year old Daniel C. Lozano of Modesto. Lozano is employed as a driver for Cintas Corporation, a company that provides mobile on-site document shredding services to businesses. Cintas acquired assets of Certified Document Destruction, Inc. in December 2005. Lozano, formerly with Certified Document Management, became employed by Cintas as a result of the acquisition.

While the charges were based on evidence Lozano falsely billed the City of Sunnyvale for services, investigators will review business records in an attempt to determine if other customers might also have been defrauded. DPS investigators will also try to ascertain if any other City departments were defrauded. Additionally, investigators are seeking information from any other businesses that may have been similarly defrauded. If you have any information about this fraud case, please contact DPS Detective Jeff Hunter at (408) 730-7131.

According to investigators, DPS employees became suspicious that the City was being defrauded in late 2005 when the billing for shredding services began to climb even though the amount of paper being submitted remained fairly constant. Beginning in September 2005, Sunnyvale DPS staff began weighing the paper before submitting it to Lozano for shredding. When Lozano arrived at DPS, he was given the paper, which he then weighed. Once the documents were shredded, he presented DPS the invoice which indicated weights ranging up to 900 pounds above the weights determined by DPS. Investigators estimate the overcharges to the City could be as much as $1,500 since last September. Under California law, thefts valued at $400 or more are classified as grand theft.

Lozano has been the regular driver servicing DPS for the past three years. He regularly came to DPS to destroy confidential documents, usually a few hundred pounds at a time. When he arrived Wednesday (March 8), he was given documents weighing 341 pounds, according to DPS measurements. The invoice he presented the City, however, indicated a weight of 628 pounds. The transaction was observed by DPS investigators, who placed Lozano under arrest at about 10 a.m.

Following his arrest, Lozano was booked into Santa Clara County jail facilities. The case is still under investigation and based on the further findings of investigators, the City will decide how to pursue recovery of the excess charges.