VCSU faculty member arrested

Valley City  (CSi)  Authorities have  arrested a Valley City State University faculty member in Valley City, which occurred on March 22, 2016.

33 year old Long Man Ram Lau faces a charge of unauthorized use of personal identity and possession of stolen property.

Lau is employed as an Assistant Professor in the VCSU Social Science Department.

The Valley City Police report from Chief Fred Thompson says in part, that a search warrent was obtained for  Lau’s apartment and that in excess of two hundred credit cards and gift cards in various names were located and seized, along with multiple computers, electronic storage devices, suspected counterfeit merchandise and medicines.  Also seized was a large amount of financial paperwork.

An amended search warrent was later served for Lau’s office at VCSU where additional credit and gift cards, computers, and electronic storage devices were seized.

Lau was placed under arrest for Unauthorized Use of Personal Information and Possession of Stolen Property.

He was taken to the Barnes County Correction Center where he was booked.

The investigation continues and is expected to be lengthy and include forensic examinations of the computers and electronic storage devices.

The Valley City Police Department will work with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and ICE in the investigation.

Valley City Police is asking the public for any information in the case by calling VCPD at 701-845-3110, as additional individuals involved in the case are being sought.

The investigation began in mid March when a victim checked her credit score and discovered irregularities and contacted Fargo Police, filing a crime report.

A tipster, who worked for a Valley City employer contacted, and supplied police with photos of many credit cards with various names and believed to be illegal, alleged to have been taken at  324 6th Avenue Southwest, Apt #4 in Valley City.  The resident of the apartment  was identified as Long Ram Lau.

The photos and information supplied by the informant were not solicited by Valley City Police.

Based on the subsequent investigation of information obtained from the photos, Valley City Police Lt. Sweson was able to identify and locate one victim, and when contacted determined that the individual had recently been  contacted by a credit card company referencing a newly issued credit card in their name.