25 Years in Prison for Identity Theft?

[Lee J <lee () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/25-years-prison-identity-theft-180035608.html

Gordon Moore, a ringleader of a massive Minnesota-based identity theft
ring<http://www.credit.com/personal-finance/identity-theft-what-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=content&utm_content=IB_1&utm_campaign=prison_identity_theft>,
was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison, the last of six leaders to
be sentenced for the scheme that covered 14 states, involved more than 100
people and cost $2.5 million.

The other ringleaders received sentences between 10 and 25 years in prison,
according to a report in the Minneapolis
Star-Tribune<http://www.startribune.com/local/229979491.html?page=1&c=y>
.

Twenty-five years may seem like a lot when compared to some of the
conspirators’ sentences — the Star-Tribune cited some between 2 ½ and 4 ¾
years — but the vast reach of the
scam<http://blog.credit.com/2013/11/10-free-ways-to-protect-your-identity/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=content&utm_content=IB_3&utm_campaign=prison_identity_theft>
supports
the sentences, says Ed Goodman, chief privacy officer at Identity Theft 911.

“It is rare that these types of identity conspiracies are ever broken up,”
Goodman said. When combined with the financial and emotional impact on
consumer victims and defrauded banks, he said the ringleaders’ sentences
weren’t surprising. “The penalties seem consistent with sentences for
ringleaders of organized crime rings in other contexts, as well.”

Moore and his fellow leaders orchestrated the large-scale crime ring by
recruiting a variety of participants to steal personal
information<http://blog.credit.com/2013/10/identity-theft-victim-court/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=content&utm_content=IB_4&utm_campaign=prison_identity_theft>:
employees at the Minnesota Board of Psychology, the St. Paul Postal Credit
Union, hearing aid company Sonus, Wells Fargo Bank and education company
Pearson; people willing to break into businesses, homes and cars to steal
checkbooks, mail and purses; and people to cash
checks<http://blog.credit.com/2013/07/old-school-check-fraud-makes-a-comeback/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=content&utm_content=IB_5&utm_campaign=prison_identity_theft>
and
buy merchandise to be returned later for cash or gift-card refunds.

Moore’s attorney had argued the operation was a “garden-variety crime
ring,” according to the Star-Tribune. The judge, Paul Magnuson, disagreed,
saying it was the most sophisticated identity theft
operation<http://blog.credit.com/2013/10/how-to-create-a-credit-emergency-kit/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=content&utm_content=IB_6&utm_campaign=prison_identity_theft>
he
had seen.

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