FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
JULY 19, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MOUNT RAINIER MAN INDICTED IN SCHEME TO
ASSUME IDENTITY OF U.S. MILITARY MAN
Imposter Allegedly Received Over $41,800 from Lenders
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Tosin Okunbanjo, age 32, of Mt. Rainier, Maryland, today on charges of aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, forgery of a passport and misuse of a passport arising from a scheme to assume the identity of a U.S. military serviceman in order to unlawfully obtain loans and credit cards, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said, “This case illustrates the damage caused by criminals who steal the identities of innocent victims. Identity fraud cases are a top priority for federal law enforcement, and perpetrators of identity fraud face lengthy sentences.”
According to the 10-count indictment and court documents, Okunbanjo lived in the United States from September 1999 through July 2007 under a false identity of another person, M.A. Okunbanjo had entered the United States on a false passport bearing M.A.’s name and date of birth. Okunbanjo is alleged to have used the false passport on July 26, 2004 to adjust his immigration status to lawful permanent resident. He used M.A.’s personal information to obtain four student loans, one automotive loan, and three revolving credit accounts, fraudulently receiving in excess of $41,800 from lenders from October 2003 to 2007.
According to court documents, the fraud was discovered in February 2005, when M.A. filed an expedited application to become a naturalized United States citizen based on his four years of service in the U.S. military. In examining M.A.’s alien file, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) discovered that an unknown person, recently identified as Tosin Okunbanjo, had entered the United States in September 1999 and October 2001 using M.A.’s name and identifying information in an altered passport and birth certificate. Because Okunbanjo obtained immigration benefits under the victim’s name, USCIS was unable to naturalize M.A.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for misuse of a passport and forgery of a passport; 30 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for bank fraud; and two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.
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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Budlow, who is prosecuting the case.