What to Know
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5 people today have been arrested in connection to an alleged id theft ring that tried to steal far more than $1,000,000, prosecutors say.
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Amid the arrested is a BK man who ran a credit rating consulting business and former collegiate soccer participant who briefly played with NY Giants
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The group allegedly stole as several as 500 identities to utilize for fraudulent financial loans — ultimately stealing at the very least $250,000, prosecutors say
5 people today, including a Brooklyn man who ran a credit rating consulting business and a former University of Florida soccer participant who briefly played with the New York Giants, have been arrested in connection to an alleged id theft ring that tried to steal far more than $1,000,000, prosecutors say.
Nassau County District Lawyer Madeline Singas and United States Postal Inspector in Cost, Philip R. Bartlett, introduced that Dacson Sears, 36, Nyantakyi Boateng, 32, Konstantinos Toikas, 28, Amber Mantock, 25, and Summertime Aboushady, 26, have been all arrested in connection to the ring that specific 5 significant credit rating unions, including Nassau Educators Federal Credit score Union.
“Over the program of a 12 months these defendants allegedly operated a highly sophisticated and structured loan and id theft ring,” Singas mentioned in a press release. “The outcomes of this variety of fraud are devastating for those people who have to reclaim their identities and the banking institutions that have to recoup monetary losses. This investigation, a person of the biggest id theft situations we have at any time investigated, highlights the great importance of potent functioning associations among the all concentrations of legislation enforcement.”
The group allegedly stole as several as 500 identities to utilize for fraudulent financial loans — ultimately stealing at the very least $250,000, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say that from at the very least February 2018 to February 2019, Sears, the alleged ringleader of the operation, filed for far more than 100 credit rating union loan purposes making use of the stolen identities of hundreds of individuals with great credit rating.
The group allegedly also specific lecturers from Good Neck, Syosset and Lawrence whose names they discovered on public internet websites and who experienced great credit rating scores.
Then individuals allegedly bought facts from their victims through the dark web and secured fraudulent financial loans to pay back for excursions, hire and particular fees.
Sears is the operator of Sears Credit score Advisory Counselling LLC., a credit rating repair assistance, which he operates out of his Brooklyn apartment, the district attorney says.
The financial loans, taken out in amounts ranging from $7,500 to $35,000, have been allegedly filed electronically under the stolen identities, making use of the names and social protection quantities of the individuals. Prosecutors say that in several situations a revenue purchase was made use of to open the loan, and once the credit rating union accredited it, the loan revenue was deposited into financial institution accounts opened in the victims’ names.
Sears is also accused of opening credit rating playing cards in the victims’ names.
Prosecutors say that Abooshady, of Queens, labored for Capital A person as a banker and is accused of stealing account facts and selling it to the other users of the ring. When utilized there, she allegedly opened accounts for Sears in the names of the stolen identities so Sears could have loan proceeds deposited into the accounts.
Sears, Boateng, Mantock and Toikas are accused of withdrawing the loan proceeds from ATMs and spending the revenue on particular fees including car or truck financial loans, hire and airline tickets.
Boateng, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is a former collegiate vast receiver for the University of Florida who was briefly component of the New York Giants, Singas mentioned.
Toikas, of Brooklyn, is a protection guard and club bouncer who also deposited loan move forward checks into financial institution accounts controlled by the ring, prosecutors say.
The alleged ring specific victims in at the very least 6 states, but the district attorney is inquiring any other probable victims to come ahead.
Amid the prices the group faces are grand larceny, id theft and scheme to defraud. If convicted, every faces a long time in jail — with Sears and Boateng experiencing up to 15 a long time every.
Lawyer facts for the accused was not straight away recognised.
