Jessica Willey reports: With the arrest of two men, investigators say they have uncovered a major, statewide identity theft ring. Authorities say it wasn’t hard for the two suspects to find their victims. […] Police say [Geoffrey] Wentzel and Richard Conatser, both ex-cons who know each other from prison, ran a far-reaching identity theft ring….
Category: ID Theft
(update) Butte reports spike in identity theft
Melanie Yuill reports: Dozens of identity theft cases are being reported in Butte. Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff John Walsh says there are 82 reports of credit card or debit card fraud in the area. The investigation is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service. Sheriff Walsh says the problem appears to be coming from electronic readers…
(follow-up) Massachusetts man pleads guilty to selling and using TSA employees’ identities
A Lynn man pleaded guilty in federal court today to selling and using the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of Transportation Security Administration employees who worked at Logan Airport. Michael Debring, A/K/A Michael Washington, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to conspiracy, misrepresenting a Social Security number with…
Four Texans charged in ID theft scheme involving fingerprint and background security clearance applicants
Four Waco area women have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit identity theft in a scheme involving stolen Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST) applications required by licensing and certification entities such as the Texas Education Agency. A seven count federal grand jury indictment, returned on Tuesday and unsealed yesterday afternoon, charges 32-year-old Angela Cuellar,…
(follow-up, TX): Man pleads guilty in Emily Morgan Hotel ID theft case
Guillermo Contreras reports: One of the main figures in San Antonio’s largest identity theft case pleaded guilty Thursday. Samuel Micha Dyer entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit ID theft fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Dyer, 28, admitted being part of a ring that stole and used 17,000 credit card receipts and registration documents from…
FL: Store clerk accused of double-swiping credit card numbers
A convenience store employee will be arraigned Friday on several federal charges after allegedly stealing credit card numbers in a counterfeit operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Ihap Abdallah “Tommy” Yamin, 31, of Okeechobee was indicted on federal conspiracy, wire fraud, credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. He could face 30 years in…