BALTIMORE MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN THREE-YEAR FRAUD SCHEME USING DEAD MAN’S IDENTITY

Baltimore, Maryland—David Anthony Johnson, age 45, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement, from late 2004 to November 2007, Johnson and a coconspirator used the identity of the co-conspirator’s neighbor, who had died in July 2004, to fraudulently obtain and renew credit accounts in the dead man’s name, and to steal and convert his financial assets. These assets include approximately $95,000 in social security and state pension payments from Baltimore County that were deposited in the victim’s bank account following his death. The death was not reported to the Social Security Administration or Baltimore County.

In order to conceal their criminal activity and make it appear that the victim was still alive, Johnson and the conspirator continued to make unauthorized payments on his mortgage and to pay taxes, utilities and other expenses using his funds.

By the time the fraud was uncovered in November 2007, Johnson and his co-conspirator had made thousands of dollars of unauthorized charges and had left an outstanding balance of $47,102 in unauthorized credit card debt in the victim’s name. At least $140,000 in loss is reasonably foreseeable to Johnson based on his role in the conspiracy.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for the conspiracy and a fine of $1 million; and a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed on the conspiracy count. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2009 at 9:15 a.m.