Two women arrested in widespread identity theft case
January 26th, 2009 by Cara Fitzpatrick
Tychell Robinson
Patrice Johnson
FORT PIERCE — Laurie Boyer opened accounts last year at Bank of America, Wachovia and SunTrust Banks.
Except Boyer, a 28-year-old teacher in St. Lucie County, didn’t know it. A phone call from her bank several months ago alerted her that she, like thousands of people in Florida each year, had been the victim of identity theft.
Unlike most victims of identity theft, however, Boyer learned Monday who it was that tangled up her credit, and her life, for several frustrating months: Two women, about her age, who lived less than 30 miles from her house in Port St. Lucie.
Tychell Letrein Robinson, 33, and Patrice V. Johnson, 26, both of Fort Pierce, were arrested at 3:30 a.m. at their homes on charges of identity theft stemming from about 300 such cases on the Treasure Coast, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s office announced Monday at a press conference in Fort Pierce.
The women were taken to the St. Lucie County Jail.
“I just appreciate the hard work of the detectives,” Boyer said. “The fact that it was even found out is great.”
Florida ranked fifth in the country for the number of identity theft victims per 100,000 population in 2007, with 19,270 people reporting the crime, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Nationally, about an estimated 9 million people have their identities stolen each year, according to the FTC.
Often, no one is ever arrested for the crime.
Monday’s arrests were the result of a two-year investigation by the sheriff’s office and the police departments in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce. The U.S. Postal Service also assisted in the case.
Law enforcement officials tracked the women down by matching bank accounts opened online to the IP addresses of the women’s computers.
They also found that Robinson was receiving mail from financial institutions and utilities in the names of about 16 different people, all from the Treasure Coast.
Sheriff’s officials, who served search warrants on each woman’s home early this morning, seized six computers, two cars and ledgers containing the personal information of several hundred people.
It isn’t clear yet how the women obtained the personal information, but it was known that they were in the market for it, sheriff’s officials said. Three other teachers at Boyer’s school also had their identities stolen, according to the arrest affidavits.
Both women have lengthy criminal histories: Robinson has previously been arrested for theft, writing worthless checks and uttering a forged instrument, and Johnson’s record includes arrests for aggravated battery, criminal mischief, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The investigation is ongoing and both women also may face federal charges, sheriff’s officials said.
After this experience, Boyer said she will pay as much attention to her credit report as she always did to her credit score.
“I, on a very regular basis, will be ensuring the safety of my credit because it’s something you work hard for,” she said.
Tags: identity theft
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January 27th, 2009 at 10:36 am
With a couple of brain-trusts like these, it’s a wonder they ever got caught.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am
In general we are very fortunate many criminals are not that smart. There are quite a few masterminds that never are caught though.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
It is frightening to think they had over 300 identities. If they weren’t caught now - how many more identities they would have compromised? Maybe added accomplices and ran it like a business.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Maybe I’m reading more into it but, it sounds like these girls had some help with getting personal information about the victims identities.
I just hope they don’t hone their skills while they’re doing time.
March 26th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I don’t think Johnson did all of those things. I know her you guys can’nt believe everything that you here. They still need proof. The article sounds good, but everything does’nt sound like it’s the true.