DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

ID thief gets sentence reduced after 9th Circuit ruling

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Dissent

The logic here seems to be the same logic applied in the Hannaford class action lawsuit: if the victims are reimbursed for their losses, they don’t count as “victims.”

The Shoreline, Washington man who lead a large I.D. theft ring, was back before a federal judge this morning asking for a sentence reduction following a 9th Circuit Court ruling on how victims are counted in I.D. theft cases. WARREN ARMSTEAD, 53, was sentenced almost three years ago to 17 and a half years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and nine counts of bank fraud. Today, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart sentenced ARMSTEAD to the high end of the guidelines range now in effect: 170 months, or just over 14 years in prison.

ARMSTEAD was convicted following a five day trial in March 2006.

According to testimony at trial, between 2002 and 2004, ARMSTEAD was the leader of an extensive identity fraud/ bank fraud scheme. ARMSTEAD recruited drug addicts to break into homes and cars to steal identifying information. ARMSTEAD sometimes burglarized the homes himself, breaking into residences in some of Seattle’s most expensive neighborhoods. With the stolen documents, ARMSTEAD had forgers make fake identifications that co-conspirators used to go into banks and businesses and commit fraud. ARMSTEAD would demand half the take from his underlings. More than 150 people have been identified as victims of ARMSTEAD’s ring. In all the group racked up more than $400,000 in losses.

Due to the fact that banks reimbursed account holders for the fraud losses and that the victims’ other losses associated with ARMSTEAD’s conduct, including the time and money spent fixing their accounts and credit, had not been quantified at the original sentencing, the court found that the individuals could no longer be counted as “victims” for purposes of sentencing. Thus ARMSTEAD’s guidelines range was lower than it was at his first sentencing.

In asking for a significant sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Tessa Gorman told the court that ID Theft is “a unnerving crime that shakes people to their core…. The emotional harm lingers on.” Ms. Gorman read from victim statements that indicate the victims don’t feel safe in their homes, or going out in public. One wrote that even five years later “this is always in my mind.”

As he announced the sentence Judge Robart noted that “ID fraud is a growing crime that has remarkable personal impact on people…. ID theft is corrosive to the very heart of our society which is built on trust.”

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Lynnwood Police Department, and the King County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tessa Gorman and Carl Blackstone as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Working Group on Identity Theft.

Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, press release

Category: ID TheftU.S.

Post navigation

← FL: Hospital employee indicted for stealing patient information
UK: Thousands of patient details lost →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Masimo Manufacturing Facilities Hit by Cyberattack
  • Education giant Pearson hit by cyberattack exposing customer data
  • Star Health hacker claims sending bullets, threats to top executives: Reports
  • Nova Scotia Power hit by cyberattack, critical infrastructure targeted, no outages reported
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • 60K BTC Wallets Tied to LockBit Ransomware Gang Leaked
  • UK: Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident
  • Public notice for individuals affected by an information security breach in the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division of Helsinki
  • PowerSchool paid a hacker’s extortion demand, but now school district clients are being extorted anyway (3)
  • Defending Against UNC3944: Cybercrime Hardening Guidance from the Frontlines

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • The App Store Freedom Act Compromises User Privacy To Punish Big Tech
  • Florida bill requiring encryption backdoors for social media accounts has failed
  • Apple Siri Eavesdropping Payout Deadline Confirmed—How To Make A Claim
  • Privacy matters to Canadians – Privacy Commissioner of Canada marks Privacy Awareness Week with release of latest survey results
  • Missouri Clinic Must Give State AG Minor Trans Care Information
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • No Postal Service Data Sharing to Deport Immigrants

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.