Sentencing in Govt. ID Theft Scheme
Fraud Losses Were in the MillionsThe leader of an identity theft ring that stole more than 600 identities from U.S. government employees has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
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Jenaro Blalock of Clinton, Md., pleaded guilty Oct. 29, 2013, to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Department of Justice says. The operation resulted in fraud losses of $1 million to $2.5 million, federal prosecutors say.
Between June 2011 and July 2013, Blalock and his co-conspirator, Christopher Bush, recruited women with access to identity information through their employers to steal the identities, which primarily belonged to employees of the Department of State, Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Justice Department says.
Blalock provided Bush with blank driver's licenses so Bush could make fraudulent driver's licenses using the victims' names, addresses and dates of birth. Blalock also created fraudulent credit cards using the victims' names, prosecutors say. Members of the identity theft ring, led by Blalock, then used the fraudulent driver's licenses and the victims' Social Security numbers to open instant credit lines at retailers and obtain rental cars, which were frequently sold on the black market with altered vehicle identification numbers.
Bush was sentenced on Jan. 17 to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme, according to the Justice Department.