Garland Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison For Stealing Over 2,000 Individuals’ Identification

DALLAS — Alan Okpechi, 30, of Garland, was sentenced yesterday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 60 months in federal prison for identify theft, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Okpechi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and has been in custody since his arrest in July 2016. 

Krisstopher Segura-Jatip and Morgen Nelson also pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracy and were sentenced to 57 months and 24 months in federal prison, respectively.

According to plea documents filed in the case, beginning in April 2015 and continuing through July 13, 2016, Okpechi and his coconspirators purchased the identification of individuals, including names, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and credit card numbers, through websites. Okpechi used the stolen and unauthorized identification to create false identification documents, including false Texas temporary driver's licenses, bearing the photos of Okpechi and his codefendants. The stolen identification was also used to make fraudulent, unauthorized purchases with credit and/or debit card accounts. Okpechi used an algorithm and an application on Nelson’s phone in order to generate credit card numbers that corresponded with and accessed open accounts to which Okpechi did not have authorization to access. Okpechi and other coconspirators obtained blank plastic cards or altered debit, credit, and gift cards, for the purpose of recoding the cards with unauthorized credit card information.  The credit cards were used on several occasions to reserve hotel rooms, including entire floors of hotels, and to rent vehicles.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Okpechi had possessed over 2,000 accounts belonging to other individuals.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie L. Hoxie prosecuted.

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