FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885
July 19, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEVERN MAN INDICTED FOR FRAUDULENTLY USING MULTIPLE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
AND IDENTITIES TO OBTAIN LOANS AND CREDIT
Forwarded Unsuspecting Individual’s Mail to Post Office Box He Controlled
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Ronald Steven Williams, II, age 32, of Severn, Maryland, for bank fraud, fraud in connection with identity documents and information, and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The indictment was returned yesterday.
According to the seven-count indictment, from June 29, 2001 to July 14, 2006 Williams engaged in a number of fraud schemes using the social security numbers and identities of others without their knowledge to obtain personal and corporate extensions of credit for cars, homes, consumer goods and general credit accounts. For example, the indictment alleges that on June 29, 2001 Williams purchased a home in Severn, Maryland using the name “Dominick Reavis” and a social security number assigned to a minor child. Acting as Dominick Reavis, Williams submitted false information to the lender, securing a $165,156 mortgage. On June 29, 2004, acting again as Dominick Reavis, Williams sold the home to himself in his own name, using a social security number that was unassigned at the time but was subsequently assigned to a newborn. On that same date, Williams submitted false information to another lender, securing a $265,500 mortgage to “purchase” the home from himself.
The indictment further alleges that from July 14, 2005 through December 1, 2005 Williams used another individual’s name and personal identifying information to create businesses, open bank accounts and a line of credit of $50,000, rent a postal delivery box and submit a request for a change of address order for a temporary forwarding of that unsuspecting individual’s mail to the postal delivery box, purchase a refrigerator, obtain a car loan of $26,895 and other extensions of credit including a loan for $12,900 and a small business account of $16,000.
Documents filed with the court indicate that Williams is alleged to have used social security numbers of 12 other individuals without their knowledge or permission. Court documents also allege that Williams had multiple driver’s licenses from Maryland and Washington, D.C. in several different names, which he used to open bank accounts, rent postal delivery boxes and obtain credit and loans.
Williams faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for fraud in connection with identity documents and a mandatory 2 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence for aggravated identity theft. Williams was arrested by U.S. Postal Inspectors on Friday, July 14, 2006, during a search of his residence conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Maryland State Police and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.
Williams is scheduled to have his initial appearance and detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at 2:00 p.m. today.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Maryland State Police and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamera L. Fine, who is prosecuting the case.
This page last modified—July 19, 2006