A Las Vegas-area man is facing dozens of felony charges after a stolen BMW he was riding in crashed and burst into flames while fleeing from St. George police, an incident that ended up exposing a much bigger fraud and identity theft operation. His name is Mitchell Steven Inclan, and he’s 33.
Inclan is charged with 35 crimes, including mail theft, vehicle theft, gun theft, possessing someone else’s identification, 20 counts of unlawful possession of a bank card, and forgery. He was booked into jail after receiving treatment at a local hospital for injuries from the crash.
How It All Started
The case began on August 28, 2026, when police were dispatched to Red Cliffs Mall in St. George after a victim reported unauthorized purchases exceeding $300 made using his and his wife’s stolen credit cards, at stores including Buckle and Al’s Sporting Goods.
Investigators identified two suspects, and shortly after, a stolen BMW connected to the case crashed into a rock while attempting to take an I-15 on-ramp at high speed, fleeing from officers.
The Crash and the Chase
One suspect, later identified as Stephen Michael Laughlin, 42, of Las Vegas, was taken into custody immediately at the crash scene. Inclan ran from the vehicle on foot, heading southwest into brush near the Southgate Golf Course, before he was eventually located and confirmed through photo comparison.
The vehicle itself caught fire after the crash, with the entire front end engulfed in flames before firefighters put it out.
What Investigators Found in the Wreckage
Once the fire was extinguished, detectives processed the BMW for evidence and found what one report described as a sprawling identity theft and mail theft operation packed into a single vehicle. According to a police booking affidavit, investigators recovered more than 100 stolen pieces of mail, 20 stolen bank cards, four laptops, a printer, a stolen handgun, and stacks of fraudulent identification cards.
Among those fraudulent IDs, six bore Inclan’s photo but listed different names and personal identifying information tied to different states. Laughlin had ten similar cards under his own photo. That’s a lot of fabricated identities to be carrying around in one vehicle, and it’s a big part of why investigators believe this wasn’t just a one-off mall theft.
Combined Charges Add Up Fast
Together, Inclan and Laughlin now face a combined total of roughly 92 charges between them. Laughlin’s charges include mail theft, forgery, gun and vehicle theft, possessing someone else’s identification, and 20 counts of unlawful possession of a bank card, among other counts.
Under Utah law, producing or possessing forged documents or document-making tools with intent to defraud is a third-degree felony, carrying up to five years in state prison per count. Given the dozens of forgery and bank card counts filed against both men, that statute alone could carry serious weight if convictions follow.
The stolen mail recovered from the vehicle could also draw federal attention, since federal law makes stealing or knowingly receiving stolen mail punishable by up to five years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000 per offense.
Where the Case Stands
Both men were booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and held without bail. Right now, all the charges against Inclan and Laughlin remain allegations, and both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Investigators also learned that a second vehicle had been dropped off for repair in St. George by Inclan the previous Friday, a detail that suggests the case could still expand as police continue piecing together how widely this operation reached.