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AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885
January 17, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TIMONIUM MAN INDICTED IN SCHEME TO SELL IDENTITY AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM HIS EMPLOYMENT
Allegedly Kept over 300 Folders of Stolen Personal Information at His Home
Baltimore, Maryland - Robert Michael Stewart, age 26, of Timonium, Maryland, was indicted today for fraud in connection with identity information (identity theft) and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to sell stolen personal and financial information, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to court documents, Stewart sought to sell 325 folders of personal and financial information that he gained, or had access to, from his employment at a Pikesville, Maryland mortgage company. Initially, Stewart had over 200 folders at his residence, which he intended to be sold to others, who would use the information to obtain funds from existing accounts and obtain additional extensions of credit.
An informant (CW) obtained three of the files on January 4, 2007, which included social security numbers, bank account and credit card numbers, copies of driver’s licenses, tax statements, payroll and statement of earnings, and bank account statements. The next day, Stewart negotiated the price of each folder, and told CW to sell 325 files for $50 each to an individual who would use the information in the file to commit bank fraud and identity theft.
On January 10, 2007, CW was present when Stewart removed additional files from the mortgage company office. On January 11, 2007, CW paid Stewart $8,000 for a total of 330 files, which Stewart loaded into CW’s vehicle before accepting the money. Stewart was immediately arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which took possession of all the stolen files.
Stewart faces a maximum sentence 15 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for identity theft and an additional two years consecutive to any other sentence for aggravated identity theft. The defendant had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on January 12, 2007 and is currently in federal custody. He has a detention hearing set for January 26, 2007 at 10:30 a.m.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamera Fine, who is prosecuting the case, and the United States Attorney’s office in Richmond, Virginia for their assistance in the investigation.
This page last modified—January 17, 2007