Identity Theft

Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison After Stealing from an Elderly Widow and Her Deceased Son, a Former Navy SEAL Stole Nearly $200,000, Including an Inheritance the Navy SEAL Received After He Reportedly Drowned in Puerto Rico A woman who stole the identities of an elderly woman and her deceased son, a former Navy SEAL, in order to withdraw nearly $200,000 from their bank accounts, was sentenced December 18, 2018, to seven years in federal prison. Robin Ann Bertelli, age 61, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2018 guilty plea to one ... Read more

Seattle Man Sentenced to Prison for Cyberstalking Campaign Against a Former Friend and a Co-Worker Harassed Victims with Multiple Texts, Phone Calls, Death Threats, False Online Service Subscriptions and Posed as Reporter Investigating Sex Abuse Allegations A former Seattle, Washington information technology professional was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conducting cyberstalking and threat campaigns against multiple victims, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JOEL KURZYNSKI, 39, was also ordered to pay $37,682 in restitution to the victims. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert ... Read more

South Abington Man Sentenced To Over 19 Years In Prison For Fraud And Identity Theft Scheme SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Hiteshkumar Patel, age 52, a resident of South Abington Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 9, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to serve 234 months in prison on the charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft in November ... Read more

New York Man Sentenced in ID Theft, Fraud Investigations PROVIDENCE, RI – A third person charged in federal court in Rhode Island in a series of on-going investigations into individuals who are stealing personal identifying information of others and using that information to apply for bank loans and retail store credit cards or lines of credit, has been sentenced to 39 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Scott E. Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Social Security ... Read more

Claims Specialist at Social Security Administration Arrested on Fraud and Identity Theft Charges for Allegedly Misappropriating at Least $680,000 in Fraudulent Benefits CHICAGO — A claims specialist for the U.S. Social Security Administration has been indicted on federal fraud and identity theft charges for allegedly approving and pocketing at least $680,000 in fraudulent benefits. ANNE AROSTE, also known as “Ann Aroste,” worked as a claims specialist at the SSA’s field office in Aurora. Aroste was responsible for processing applications for Social Security benefits via the agency’s electronic records system. According to the indictment, Aroste created fraudulent applications for benefits on ... Read more

“John Doe” Sentenced To 42 Months In Prison For Passport Fraud, Social Security Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, And Two Counts Of Voter Fraud Defendant, whose true identity remains unknown, lived under a stolen identity for twenty years, using it to obtain a passport, Social Security card, and to vote in the 2016 Presidential Election Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced defendant “John Doe,” whose true identity remains unknown, to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for charges of passport fraud, social security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and two counts of ... Read more

Former Boca Raton Resident Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme A former Boca Raton resident, who purported to operate a tax preparation business in Pompano Beach, pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a multi-million dollar stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme. Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS-CI), made the announcement. Wilson Lasset, 48, formerly of Boca Raton, Florida, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, ... Read more

Man Admits Role In Identity Theft And Wire Fraud Conspiracy NEWARK N.J. – A Georgia man today admitted using fake driver’s licenses in order to obtain checks issued in response to false statements and representations, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. Abdulrasheed Yusuf, 29, of Lilburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Yusuf was a member of a conspiracy to ... Read more

Owner of Tax Preparation Business Convicted of Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Money Laundering Corry E. Pearson, 28, of Riviera Beach, was found guilty by a jury of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, sixteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, eight counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), and two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States ... Read more

Garland Couple Who Stole/Unlawfully Obtained Patient Identification Information Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms Husband is a Former Parkland Hospital Employee and Wife is a Former Nurse at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas – Used Info toSolicit Patients for Their Home Health Agency DALLAS — A former employee at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas (Parkland), Viju Mathew, and his wife, Mariamma Viju, a registered nurse who worked at Baylor University Medical at Dallas (Baylor), who pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from their theft/unlawfully obtaining patient identification information, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, announced ... Read more

22 Individuals Charged With Conspiracy To Commit Id Theft SAN JUAN, P.R – On May 9, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 49-count superseding indictment charging 22 individuals with conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and counterfeit access device, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The United States Secret Service (USSS) and the U.S. Postal Inspectors are conducting the investigation. According to the indictment, the object of the conspiracy was to steal the names, bank account numbers and debit or credit card numbers and ... Read more

Osage Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to Stolen Mail, Bank Fraud Scheme JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an Osage Beach, Mo., woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to a scheme to use stolen mail and stolen identities to cash fraudulent checks at area banks. Chrystal Lynn Bernstein, 27, of Osage Beach, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge William A. Knox on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Bernstein admitted that she engaged in a scheme ... Read more

Lee’s Summit Woman Sentenced for $1.5 Million Embezzlement Schemes, Identity Theft KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lee’s Summit, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for a series of embezzlement schemes totaling more than $1.5 million. Patricia Webb, 44, of Lee’s Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to eight years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Webb to pay $1,564,745 in restitution to her victims. On Nov. 22, 2016, Webb pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and ... Read more

Identity Thief sentenced for using a new form of fraud “Synthetic Identities” ATLANTA – Creating “synthetic identities” from phony Social Security numbers is one of the fastest growing forms of identity theft in the United States, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is prosecuting increased numbers of these cases to stay in front of this trend. One recent case involves Kelvin Lyles, who has been sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison for wire fraud. Lyles used so-called “synthetic identities,” which are fake identities created by establishing a credit history for false ... Read more

Fugitive Sought in $1.5 Million Quincy Real Estate Scheme Arrested in Florida BOSTON – A man accused of a fraudulent $1.5 million real estate investment scheme in Quincy, Mass., and who had been a fugitive for 20 years in connection with an unrelated New York grand theft and larceny indictment, was arrested today in Delray Beach, Fla., on federal charges in connection with the Quincy scheme. Scott J. Wolas, 67, who, according to court documents, also used the names Eugene J. Grathwohl, Allen L. Hengst, Drew Prescott, Frank Amolsch, Endicott Asquith, and Cameron Sturge, was charged by criminal complaint with ... Read more

Many statistics have been provided to approximate the number of Americans affected by identity theft and misuse. Near 7% of adults are a victim of identity theft, making it a very real threat. A large portion of those affected are subjected to credit card fraud in which strangers rack up bills on their credit cards. Identity theft is on the rise. As technology continues to advance, it only makes it easier for the common criminal to steal other people’s identities. It’s no wonder identity theft has quickly grown to be an alarming national problem. If you are a victim or ... Read more

The Federal Trade Commission has reported identity theft as the top consumer complaint, affecting millions of Americans each year. Seniors are particularly vulnerable, and identity theft affecting seniors rose 200%. Seniors are appealing targets because they generally have higher credit lines, home equity, and more savings than young people. Seniors are also easy targets for e-mail fraud, and charity fraud. Internet scams will often instruct a senior to access their bank account online in order to “correct an error”. Most of the time, seniors will be asked to click on a link inside the e-mail, and they will be taken ... Read more

Leader of The Simple City Criminal Organization Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft Stole Vehicles and Used the Stolen Identity Information of Victims to Engage in Fraudulent Financial Transactions Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Jeff Crews, a/k/a “Fro,” age 25, of Washington, D.C., today to 121 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a racketeering conspiracy and for aggravated identity theft, in connection with his activities as the leader of the Simple City Criminal Organization (SCCO). SCCO ... Read more

Bulgarian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Device to Make Fraudulent Credit and Debit Cards Defendant Believed to Be Part of an Ongoing International Identity Theft Ring Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Martin Aleksandrov Enev, age 27, a Bulgarian national residing in Randallstown, Maryland, today to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for possession of device-making equipment with the intent to defraud, and identity theft. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy ... Read more