Authorities: Man caught with multiple access cards stolen from vehicles

A Texas man will face charges in St. Mary Parish after he was caught in Pierre Part with financial access cards in the names of people and entities from the Morgan City area, Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon said in a news release.

Matthew Edward Johnston, 33, of Tamar Lake in Austin, Texas, was arrested on charges of illegal possession of stolen things and possession of tools for a crime.

Johnston was arrested late Monday night after deputies observed him entering a parked school bus in Pierre Part, Falcon said.

Deputies converged on the parked bus and confronted the suspect later identified as Johnston. Johnston was in possession of a duffel bag, so deputies searched him and the duffel bag for officer safety, the release stated.

During the search, deputies located a number of financial access cards as well as a number of tools generally used in commission of a burglary, Falcon said. The financial access cards were in the name of other people, businesses and public agencies from the Morgan City area, Falcon said.

Through investigation, authorities determined that the financial access cards had been stolen from a number of automobiles in the St. Mary Parish area, Falcon said.

Johnston remained incarcerated pending a bail hearing. He will also face charges in St. Mary Parish, Falcon said.