North Jersey authorities arrest 11 in ID-theft scheme

[Erica Absetz <erica () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/North_Jersey_authorities_arrest_11_in_ID-theft_scheme_that_victimized_dozens_.html

Authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of 11 people they allege
were part of an identity theft scheme that victimized dozens of people
and resulted in the loss of more than $150,000.

The arrests came after an investigation that involved 30 police
departments and more than 70 victims, Bergen County Prosecutor John L.
Molinelli said in a statement. He said the arrests were all made on
Thursday, and a press conference would be held Friday to provide more
details about the alleged ring.

Nine of the accused are from Paterson, one is from Wayne and one lives
in South Carolina.

The victims had recently applied for new or refinanced mortgages
through NJ Lenders Corp. of Little Falls, which stored files,
including its customers’ personal information, at C. Marino Records, a
warehouse in Paterson. An employee at the warehouse, Kyle Davis, 48,
allegedly sold the victim’s profiles to Shontera N. Jennings, 32.
Davis and Jennings both live in Paterson.

NJ Lenders provided information to authorities that aided the
investigation, Molinelli said.

Jennings allegedly used the victims’ identities to apply for credit
cards affiliated with retailers including Annie Sez, Victoria’s Secret
and Layne Bryant, and added authorized buyers to those accounts. The
buyers then made purchases that were charged to those credit cards,
presenting photo identification to prove that they were on the
authorized buyer list, Molinelli said.

Molinelli said investigators used video surveillance from store
security cameras that showed some of the accused making illegal credit
card transactions.

All of the accused are charged with trafficking in personal
identifying information, theft by deception and conspiracy to commit
theft by deception, Molinelli said. They all were being held Thursday
at the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $300,000 cash bail apiece.

In addition to Jennings and Davis, Paterson residents Lakia L. Thomas,
34, Judith Broadnax, 47, Angel M. Leary, 35, Oliver J. Hall, 40, Mark
Gordon, 43, Danisha L. Greene, 35, and Randolph Grant Jr., 36, were
arrested during Thursday’s sweep, Molinelli said. Also arrested were
June W. Mattiex, 55, of Wayne and Jannelle F. Fields, 35, of
Walterboro, S.C.

Molinelli said police departments across North Jersey began receiving
complaints last year from people who said they were getting mail from
credit card companies affiliated with retail stores congratulating
them on opening accounts that they had not opened. He said the victims
also received bills that included charges made by authorized buyers
they did not know. The complaints continued into this year, Molinelli
said.

The Identity Theft Task Force of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
conducted the investigation with at least 13 police departments in the
counties of Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Somerset, Molinelli said.
Englewood, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park,Montvale, North
Haledon, Paterson, Saddle Brook, Saddle River and Upper Saddle
Riverwere among the police departments involved.

The arrests were made one day after a state Superior Court judge in
Hackensack issued five search warrants and 11 arrest warrants,
Molinelli said.
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