Four Miami-Dade County residents conspired to break into parked vehicles to steal personal property, including personal identification information, that was then used to carry out identity-related fraud schemes.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, and Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
According to the court record, Willie Smith, 34, Daryl Pugh 42, Lloyd Scott, 28, Naomie Maitre, 39, and Christopher Simpson, 35, all of North Miami, were charged by indictment for their participation in a identity theft and fraud scheme conspiracy. The defendants conspired to break into vehicles parked at gas stations, day care centers, and churches in order to steal personal property, including purses, which often contained personal identification documents and information belonging to other individuals. This stolen information was then used to commit aggravated identity theft and fraud. In total, the co-defendants unlawfully possessed property, including purses, sunglasses, cellular telephones, credit cards, debit cards, social security cards, legal permanent resident cards, health insurance cards, Florida bar cards, and passports, belonging to more than 380 victims.
Co-defendants Smith, Pugh and Scott pled guilty for their participation in the identity theft and fraud conspiracy. On January 13, 2017, co-defendant Maitre was convicted by a trial jury of conspiracy to possess 15 or more access devices, possession of 15 or more access devices with the intent to commit fraud, and two separate counts of aggravated identity theft. Smith and Scott were each sentenced, by United States District Judge Ursula Ungaro, to 94 months’ imprisonment.
Maitre and Pugh are scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2017, at 11:00 am, before U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro.
Co-defendant Christopher Simpson remains a fugitive.
An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and MDPD. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cary O. Aronovitz and Daya Nathan.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.