Miami-Dade Resident Pleads Guilty In Identity Theft Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announce that defendant Jean-Elguentino Cayo, 26, of Miami Gardens, pled guilty today for his participation in a stolen identity scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez.

Cayo pled guilty to one count of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2). At sentencing, the defendant faces a maximum term of ten years in prison.

According to court documents, beginning in December 2012 through June 2013, the defendant sold approximately 400 names, dates of birth, and social security numbers belonging to other persons to a confidential informant and undercover law enforcement officer in exchange for money. The defendant had no authorization to traffic in the names, dates of births, and social security numbers belonging to other persons and acted with the intent to defraud.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and ICE-HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Maderal.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.