SECOND MAN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH IDENTITY THEFT SCHEME TARGETING DUI OFFENDERS IN YORK AND LANCASTER COUNTIES

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that John B. Spencer, III, 30, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was charged with conspiracy to commit identification fraud in connection with a scheme targeting DUI offenders in Lancaster and York Counties. Also filed today was a plea agreement indicating that Spencer has agreed to plead guilty to the charge when he appears for his arraignment in federal court. Spencer faces up to five years’ imprisonment and $250,000 in fines upon conviction of the offense. Spencer is the second individual charged in connection with this scheme. On September 15, 2009, Donald E. Stoner, 37, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was also charged with conspiracy in connection with this offense.

The charge filed today indicates that Spencer and Stoner searched the internet and targeted individuals who had been convicted of DUI offenses in Lancaster and York Counties. Spencer and Stoner then requested the court’s files from the clerk’s office and obtained the victim’s social security number, date of birth, drivers license number and other identifying information that was disclosed on documents in the file. Armed with this information, Spencer and Stoner opened fraudulent bank accounts, created phony email addresses and applied for loans in the victim’s name. The proceeds of the loans were deposited into the fraudulent bank accounts and used by the co-conspirators for personal expenses. More than 100 individuals had their identities stolen and approximately $27,000 was gained as a result of this scheme. The victims have been contacted by law enforcement authorities and advised of the identity theft. The clerk of court for York and Lancaster County have also been advised of the scheme and have been asked to redact identifying information from court documents prior to release to the public.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Brandler for prosecution.

****

An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.