Central Falls Resident Pleads Guilty in Stolen ID, Fraud Scheme

PROVIDENCE – Reynaldo Martinez, 25, of Central Falls, pleaded guilty today to federal charges relating to his participation in a scheme to use the stolen identity of numerous individuals to open retail store credit cards and lines of credits, which he used to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  

Martinez pleaded guilty as charged in a superseding indictment returned on August 15, 2017, to four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of access fraud, and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

Martinez’s guilty plea is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Brian Deck, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Martinez admitted to the court that beginning as early as March 15, 2017, he used various sources, including internet websites, to obtain personal identification information of individuals, including their Social Security Numbers, dates of birth and addresses, after which he would have false, counterfeit government identifications manufactured bearing his photograph.  Martinez admitted that he used the counterfeit identifications to secure credit to make purchases at various businesses including Sprint Cell Phone locations, Kohl's Department Store, Sak' s Fifth Avenue, Best Buy, Cardi' s Furniture, Raymour and Flanigan Furniture, and Home Depot. Martinez admitted that he used the stolen credit to make between $40,000 and $90,000 dollars in purchases, for which he had no intention of paying.

Martinez was first charged in this matter by way of a federal criminal complaint on May 17, 2017. He was arrested on May 24, 2017, and ordered detained in federal custody. Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 25, 2018.

Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment, $1,000,000 fine, and 5 years supervised release; conspiracy to commit access device fraud, attempted access device fraud, access devise fraud, and interstate transportation of goods are each punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release; and aggravated identity theft is punishable by 2 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.

Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Middletown, Warwick, Richmond and Central Falls, R.I., Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; Mansfield and Seekonk, Mass, Police Departments; West Hartford and Hamden, Conn., Police Departments; and the Richardson, Texas, Police Department for their assistance in gathering and providing information to the United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island and the United States Secret Service New England Electronic Crimes Task Force during the course of the investigation.

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