Two men have been arrested on suspicion of racking up more than $14,000 on a credit card belonging to a Bayfield church.

Lucas Charles Gallegos, of Mancos, and Royce Kim Cowan, of Durango, are suspected of felony theft, identity theft and unlawful use of a financial transaction device, Durango police said.

The arrests stem from the theft of a credit card in September at the McDonald’s in Durango.

Lisa Prothero, an employee of Pine Valley Foursquare Church, accidentally left her purse at the McDonald’s, according to an arrest affidavit filed in La Plata County Combined Courts. She returned a short time later to discover someone had turned in her purse, but she found several items missing. Also, she did not realize a Walmart credit card belonging to Pine Valley Foursquare Church was among the items missing.

Prothero therefore did not file a police report, and the credit card was not canceled.

In February, Sally Brennan, administrative pastor for the church, received credit card statements from Walmart that totaled more than $14,700 in fraudulent charges from Jan. 12 to Feb. 8.

The charges included:

$3,092 at the Cortez Walmart.

$2,289 at a Walmart in Farmington, 1400 W. Main St.

$3,019 at a Walmart in Farmington, 4600 E. Main St.

$19.30 at Sam’s Club in Farmington.

$6,309 at the Walmart in Durango.

The Durango Police Department obtained screen shots from video surveillance taken from one of the Walmart stores in Farmington, and it circulated them to law enforcement agencies in La Plata County.

Both men were recognized from previous interactions with law enforcement, according to the arrest affidavit.

“A painstaking investigation resulted in the identity of Gallegos and Cowan as suspects in the fraudulent purchases,” according to a news release issued Monday by the Durango Police Department.

A search warrant was executed at Cowan’s home in Durango West I that resulted in the recovery of several thousand dollars worth of stolen property and a small amount of methamphetamine, according to the news release.

Brennan said the credit card was used to purchase multiple televisions, video games, car stereo systems, clothing and alcohol (Farmington). She’s unsure why they waited several months before making any purchases. Oddly, they also made returns on the stolen credit card, possibly in a failed attempt to get cash back for purchases, she said.

Police said other items included cellular phones, groceries, cologne and body wash.

shane@durangoherald.com