Twelve local residents recently learned the hard way why police call identity theft the fastest-growing crime in America when they became pawns in a Severn man?s elaborate fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney?s Office.
A federal grand jury indicted Ronald Steven Williams, 32, of Severn, on Tuesday on counts of bank fraud, fraud in connection with identity documents and information and aggravated identity theft.
Williams “engaged in a variety of fraud schemes utilizing the Social Security numbers of other individuals … to obtain personal and corporate extensions of credit for cars, homes, consumer goods and general credit accounts,” the indictment states.
The indictment alleges that on June 29, 2001, Williams purchased a home in Severn under a pseudonym, using a Social Security number assigned to a minor.
Under the fake name, Williams submitted false information to the lender, securing a $165,156 mortgage.
Three years later, Williams then sold his home to himself ? from his fake name to his real name ? using a fraudulent Social Security number that has subsequently been assigned to a newborn, the indictment states.
The indictment further alleges in 2005 that Williams used another individual?s name and personal identifying information to create businesses and open bank accounts and a line of credit of $50,000.
As part of the elaborate scheme, Williams rented a postal delivery box and submitted a request for a change of address order, so the victim?s mail would be forwarded to him, prosecutors said. He used the fake identification to purchase a refrigerator, obtain a car loan of $26,895 and other extensions of credit including a loan for $12,900 and a small business account of $16,000, prosecutors said.
Court documents also allege that Williams possessed multiple driver?s licenses from Maryland and Washington, in several different names, which he used to open bank accounts, rent postal delivery boxes and obtain credit and loans.
Williams faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for fraud in connection with identity documents and a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
Williams was arrested Friday by U.S. postal inspectors.
