I've Been Mugged

Jury Convicts New Jersey Man Of Identity Theft

I am pleased to forward news when an identity thief receives what they deserve. Empire State News reported:

"The jury convicted Lamar Whitehead, 29, of stealing the identities of local and out-of-state residents and businesses. The scam involved Whitehead’s stealing of identities and applying for loans from online banks using his victims’ names. The defendant often used the loans to buy luxury automobiles, or open equity lines of credit. Whitehead was convicted of 14 counts of first degree identity theft, a felony punishable by 2 1/2 to seven years in prison; three counts of identity theft in the third degree, a misdemeanor, and one count of scheme to defraud, a felony punishable by a prison term of 1 1/3 to four years."

Newsday also reported about the conviction:

"... prosecutors, who portrayed Whitehead as a criminal "ringleader" who used his ex-girlfriend to obtain credit information from a Patchogue car dealership, said the partial verdict showed the jury's diligence in weighing each count. The verdict came after four days of deliberation. Prosecutors said Whitehead's victims stretched as far as Tennessee and Georgia."

The only problem I see with the conviction is that Whitehead should have also been forced to make restitution to his ID-theft victims.

Seattle Man Sentenced To 51 Months In Prison For Identity Theft

I am pleased to forward news when identity thieves receive what they deserve. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported:

"Kopiloff pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, mail fraud and accessing a protected computer without authorization to further fraud. He victimized more than 50 people and caused about $70,000 in losses, according to court records."

Readers should also note:

"The peer-to-peer network Kopiloff exploited is the type that is used to swap music online. Kopiloff used software such as LimeWire to search the computers of members of the file-sharing network for federal income tax returns, student financial aid applications and credit reports, according to prosecutors. The stolen merchandise would be shipped to mailboxes around the Puget Sound region, then sold for about half its retail value."

This story should be a warning to consumers about both the risks with file-sharing software, and the need to properly configure home firewall, wireless network, and anti-virus software.

Judge Hands Identity Thief The Maximum Sentence

From the St. Louis Today newspaper:

"A federal judge handed down a maximum sentence Friday to an identity thief who authorities said began a new scheme while still serving time in a halfway house for a previous one. The thief, Robert Unique Haines, 43, of the St. Louis area, must serve 14 years in prison, the U.S. attorney's office said. He pleaded guilty in October of conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, fraud with identification documents and escape."

Apparently, Haines recruited employees at an Old Navy store and at United Healthcare to steal customers' personal information. The thieves used the personal data to open credit accounts in the customers' names or take over their accounts. The theft was pretty extensive:

"The shoppers got cash and permission to use the cards for their own purchases, officials said, while Haines and others would sell the merchandise at a discount for cash. Investigators located 58 customer victims and $150,000 in fraudulent purchases or charges, although the companies notified more than 15,000 that their information was at risk.

The conspirators also received prison sentences:

"Former United Healthcare employee Clare Hungerford, 37, of the 11000 block of Hidden Lake Drive in St. Louis, was sentenced last month to four years in prison in the case. Former Old Navy employee Timothy Short, 32, of the 900 block of Concordia Lane, was sentenced in November to two years in prison. Six others have also pleaded guilty to related charges and were ordered to serve sentences of probation to 75 months in prison."

While the good news in this story was that the thieves were caught and sentenced, there is a cautionary message. The thefts relied on employees working inside the companies. This should be a signal to companies everywhere that security checks both before and during employment are necessary.

Chicago Woman Gets 8 Years For Identity Theft

I like reading news stories about identity thieves who were caught and convicted. The Chicago Tribune newspaper reported:

"A Chicago woman who used a stolen identity to buy a house and a vehicle was sentenced Monday to 8 years in prison. Denise Williams, 37, bought a $173,000 house in the 6000 block of South May Street and a $24,000 Chevrolet Equinox using the personal information of a woman whose wallet was stolen during a trip to Chicago, said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. Williams was not accused of stealing the wallet, but she used its contents, including the victim's Social Security card, to buy the home and the vehicle, Conklin said. It's unclear how she obtained the wallet."

The story demonstrates the damage identity thieves can do with a SSN, birthdate, and name. The story highlights the fact that identity information is bought and sold by numerous criminals. In my opinion, 8 years in prison sounds about right.