Identity Thief Who Bought Personal Information With Bitcoin Sent To Jail | USAO-SDTX

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 43-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to prison after fraudulently purchasing two expensive vehicles using information purchased from the dark web, U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery has announced.

Jay Patrick Morgan pleaded guilty on October 21, 2021.

Today, US District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered him to serve a 24-month sentence which will be immediately followed by a year of probation. Morgan was also ordered to pay restitution of $31,409.37 to compensate for the damages and the decrease in value of the salvaged property.

“Today’s sentencing is a reminder that the Secret Service is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting financial crimes,” Resident Officer in Charge Brian J. Gibson said. “Identity theft investigations remain a top priority for us in our mission to protect this nation’s financial insights. Success in this case demonstrates the investigative capabilities of the Secret Service and the collaborative efforts with our charged partners. of law enforcement.

On March 8, 2019, Morgan purchased a 2015 Ford F250 Platinum Edition

van worth over $59,000. The following week, he also purchased a 2019 Rockwood 5th Wheel recreational vehicle (RV), worth over $57,000, from a Corpus Christi-area dealer. In both cases, Morgan financed the full value of each vehicle by falsely providing the Social Security number and other identifying information of another person with a similar name.

The victim then contacted the authorities after discovering numerous credit applications and several new credit accounts that he had not applied for, including those used to purchase the van and motorhome. The investigation confirmed that the victim did not open any of the credit accounts and that no payments were made to any of the accounts. The van and motorhome were listed as solen vehicles.

In August 2019, local authorities carried out a traffic check on the stolen van. Morgan was driving.

He admitted to acquiring the van using a social security number he purchased with bitcoin currency from a dark web site. Morgan also admitted to fraudulently using the same information to purchase an RV which he then sold to another person.

Morgan has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a US Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Secret Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi and Deer Park Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. prosecuted the case.

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