Associated Press reports:
A Massachusetts man and his alleged Rhode Island accomplice are set to appear before a Boston judge on charges of stealing dozens of people’s identities, then using them to pass forged prescriptions for powerful painkillers and other drugs.
Fifty-seven-year-old John Tropea of Franklin faces 67 counts of identity fraud, 69 counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and other charges.
Read more on MySanAntonio.com.
But where/how did they allegedly steal the identity information and insurance information referred to in the news story? The AP story is silent on that.
This case was previously reported in a May news item in the Milford Daily News, which indicated that they had already pleaded not guilty. In an April news item, the paper had reported:
In many cases, Tropea and Huguenin submitted the prescriptions with stolen health insurance information, and insurance companies would pay for the prescriptions, according to the attorney general’s office.
Authorities said they think Tropea and Huguenin stole identities of people in Suffolk, Worcester, Bristol, Middlesex, Plymouth and Norfolk counties, said Harry Pierre, a spokesman for the attorney general.
Investigators think the victims’ identities were only used to charge an insurance company for the drugs, and none of the victims had their health insurance compromised as a result of the incidents, Pierre said.
“Obviously, it’s not unusual to hear about cases of identify theft,” he said. “This is something we will take seriously.”
Authorities said they think the incidents happened between May and October 2009.
Read more on Milford Daily News, although they also provide no information on how the health insurance information was stolen. The Attorney General’s press release on the indictment can be found here. Their office did not return my call seeking additional information about how the health insurance information was stolen.
And is this the same John Tropea who is the well-known guitarist or just someone by the same name?