Identity Theft Hurts

Banks and Businesses enable another identity thief

(John Barksdale’s commentary. You have to laugh. Not at the victims of identity theft, but at the banks and businesses who failed to validate this identity thief’s identity and extended money and merchandise on credit to him. Do you think the banks and businesses will have to complete notarized affidavits, spend hours on the phone, mail in photocopies of utility bills, their drivers license and clean up their credit records? No. But the identity theft victim(s) will.)

“CONCORD, N.H.—A Concord, N.H., man is being held on more than $1 million bail on identity fraud charges.

Police identified the man as 30-year-old Ronnell Wesley, but say they are not sure if that’s his real name. He was arrested Thursday on five identity fraud charges and one charge of receiving stolen property.

Concord Police say investigators in Oviedo, Fla., contacted them in August, about a fraud scheme allegedly involving Wesley. Police say Wesley assumed the identity of a Florida resident and defrauded businesses and banks out of merchandise and money.

Wesley was arrested on drug charges in Concord three weeks ago after police searched his apartment in the fraud investigation. He was arrested on the fraud charges while in court for the drug case.

A judge ordered him held on $1,010,000 cash bail, pending a hearing on Oct. 9.”