The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
The authorities have arrested a suspect who they allege was part of an identity theft ploy. They believe that the accused used the information, which was taken from an elderly man, to make over $50,000 in purchases.
The caregiver of an 80-year-old man who has dementia reportedly got a couple of bills in the mail in the name of the man for whom she works stating that he owed a dental clinic several thousands of dollars for work that he never had done.
After an investigation into the claims was opened, it was reportedly discovered that someone had used the victim’s personal information at the Friedman Dental Group to open a credit account. The person then had over $41,000 in dental procedures done, including a new set of implants to replace the teeth that had rotted in his mouth.
An additional purchase of a $10,000 French bulldog was also made in the victim’s name at a pet store in the same city that the dental office is located. The person believed to be responsible for the dental incident is being accused of this fraudulent transaction as well.
When the authorities located 52-year-old Timothy Powell, the man that they are holding accountable for the alleged crimes, he reportedly told them that he had gone on the dark web and interacted with someone calling himself Rico. He allegedly said he paid $100 to Rico for the victim’s identity information, and that Rico drove him to the dentist after encouraging him to have his mouth worked on.
The investigators purport that Powell used the information that he paid for to obtain a legal identification card, and then used the victim’s social security number and other personal details to establish credit for the purchases. The authorities also allege that Powell’s fingerprints were found at the dentist’s office on forms he had signed and that they have pictures of a man fitting his description.
Powell was taken into custody and booked into the county jail where he is being detained without bail. He is being charged with identity theft based on the allegations, and he is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on November 28.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.