FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885  

January 18, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md                                       

Fraudulent U.S. District Court Subpoenas Allegedly Used to Obtain Identity Information

Baltimore, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announces that today a federal grand jury has indicted Dee Deidre Farmer, also known as Douglas C. Farmer, age 40, and Nicole Jones Randall, age 28, both of Baltimore Maryland, for crimes committed in connection with a scheme to steal identity information and use that information to defraud numerous businesses.

The seven-count indictment charges both Farmer and Randall with five counts of mail fraud. In addition, Farmer is charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that Farmer sent fraudulent United States District Court subpoenas to several businesses and governmental agencies seeking identity information of numerous individuals. The indictment also charges that Farmer opened bank, telephone, and shipping accounts using stolen or otherwise invalid credit information. The defendants allegedly created fraudulent state identification documents and fraudulently opened credit accounts at various retail businesses, obtaining in excess of $50,000 in money and property to which they were not entitled.

Farmer has not yet been arrested on these federal charges, but is in custody on related state charges. Randall was arrested on January 4, 2006, on a complaint charging wire fraud and is on release under supervision.

The maximum penalty for each charge of mail fraud is 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Each aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison which must be served consecutively to the sentence for the mail fraud scheme.

No court dates are scheduled at this time.

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 commended the investigative work performed by the United States Secret Service Fraud Task Force and Electronic Crimes Working Group, and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Welsh for prosecuting the case.