Three held in fake TriMet ticket ring

By Associated Press and KATU.com Staff Published: Jul 8, 2009 at 6:23 PM PST Last Updated: Jul 9, 2009 at 7:03 AM PST
Three held in fake TriMet ticket ring »Play Video
Jamie Caamal-Balam (left), Gabriel Bedolla-Medina (middle) and Maria Izquierdo (right).

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland police have arrested three people accused of operating a fake Trimet ticket ring that amounted to approximately $100,000 in lost fares.

Detective Mary Wheat said Wednesday the arrests of 29-year-old Gabriel Bedolla-Medina, 27-year-old Jamie Caamal-Balam and 23-year-old Maria Izquierdo followed a two-month investigation.

Bedolla-Medina and Caamal-Balam face multiple counts of forgery.  Izquierdo faces a single count.

According to police, the forged tickets are difficult to distinguish from valid ones, and TriMet riders should be careful when buying tickets from unauthorized sellers. Anyone using a forged ticket can be arrested for theft.