Arizona Identity Theft: The Theft of a New Generation
Whether you walk into a store and shoplift some new clothes or take something from a friend’s house that doesn’t belong to you, it is theft. If that something involves personal indentifying information that you later use for your own benefits, it could be considered identity theft. Either way, if convicted, you can face serious penalties.
According to this ABC15.com story, a Gilbert man was just recently convicted and sentenced for a crime that began about 12 years ago. Leonal Guerrero used the social security number he stole over 12 years ago from a Michigan man to purchase a vehicle, obtain employment, and get a credit card.
Because he has continually been using the identity, prosecutors were able to successfully charge him with identity theft. He was sentenced to 21 months in the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Arizona has a nationally recognized identity theft problem. It is because of this problem that state prosecutors take all identity theft cases very seriously. They are prosecuted aggressively and often punished severely.
In this great state of ours, identity theft is considered a Class 4 felony. For a first time conviction you could get up to 2 ½ years behind bars, not to mention facing other fraud charges for any behavior you undertook in the other person’s name. For instance, it is common to see identity theft charges paired with forgery or fraudulent use of a credit card.
Another charge Mr. Guerrero could have faced is called criminal impersonation. This applies when you use someone’s social security number to gain employment. Slightly less serious than identity theft, this crime is a Class 6 felony that carries 18 months as a potential prison sentence.
Regardless of the specific charge, if you are facing criminal charges involving the theft of someone else’s information or fraudulently using someone’s credit card, you need the assistance of an experienced attorney. Developing a defense strategy should be high on your list of priorities and I can help with that.
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