NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

DECEMBER 5, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KC FIREFIGHTER INDICTED FOR IDENTITY THEFT,

CREDIT CARD FRAUD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a firefighter with the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department was indicted by a federal grand jury today for identity theft and credit card fraud.

Mark M. Braden, 38, of Kansas City, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

Today’s indictment alleges that Braden unlawfully used the name and Social Security number of another person on Feb. 28, 2007, in order to commit credit card fraud. Braden allegedly used an American Express card issued in that victim’s name to receive items valued at $1,000 or more between Feb. 28 and April 15, 2007.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Braden to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including a desktop computer.

Wood cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Cowles. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Johnson County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department as part of the U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force.

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