Olathe ? A Johnson County jury has convicted a California man on five felony charges in a three-state identity theft ring.

Edward B. Martin, 32, of Chula Vista, Calif., was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to commit identity theft and four counts of identity theft.

Martin and others in the group stole information from an application at a San Diego video store and used it to obtain California driver’s licenses, military identification cards and social security cards, witnesses testified during Martin’s trial.

Members of the group flew to and from the Kansas City area using fake names, running up a $10,000 loss for an airline.

The ring drew attention from authorities after Melissa Ladley, 20, exceeded the limit on a credit card from an Overland Park store in a week.

The San Diego woman was arrested in May 2001 after an employee at J.C. Penney became suspicious when she noticed the spelling of Ladley’s name on an instant credit application and the name on the driver’s license she was using were different.

Ladley’s arrest led to charges against Martin and three others in Johnson County, including an Overland Park hotel employee who allegedly helped group members rent rooms using false names. Another member of the group was arrested near St. Louis.

Ladley and Alicia Harrington, 22, have pleaded guilty for their part in the ring. They were placed on probation and testified in Martin’s trial. Charges are pending in Johnson County against Glen John Jones, 28, and hotel employee James David Kizine, 26, of Kansas City, Mo. Martin is free on a $200,000 bond. His sentencing is scheduled for May 9.