GOLDEN, Colo. -- A grand jury has indicted five men and four women accused of being part of an identity theft and forgery ring that operated in Jefferson County, the Denver area and Colorado Springs.

They are accused of stealing financial and personal information from mailboxes, mostly in Jefferson County, and breaking into cars. The indictment says the suspected ring members would take checks, banking information, Social Security cards, driver's licenses and credit cards, then create forged checks and identifications to pay for expenses and illegal drugs.

"As we so often see, this ID theft ring appears to have been fueled by the members’ methamphetamine use," said District Attorney Scott Storey said.

The nine indicted are: Richard Wade Williams, 44, of Golden; Mark Bryan Hudson, 43, of Buena Vista; Michael Allen Morris, 48, of Littleton; Eric Zane Armstrong, 30, of Denver; Nina Elizabeth Martinez, 26, of Arvada; Amanda June Tuttle, 28, of Westminster; William Carroll, 30, Colorado Springs; Jimi Lynn Chevrie, 24, of Littleton; and Vanessa Leeann Black, 22, of Castle Rock.

The investigation began in late 2008, as the Arvada Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office began receiving reports of car break-ins and stolen mail. In the following weeks and months, they began to receive reports of bad checks being passed at local merchants and forged checks being cashed at banks using the information previously reported stolen.

"These are very complicated investigations," said Storey, "Often forged checks were created using the name and address of one victim, and an account number of another victim. Investigators had to piece it all together. It required great attention to detail. This is an example of excellent police work by the Arvada Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office."

The defendants face charges including identity theft and forgery in the 101-count indictment.