New York Men Indicted for Device Fraud, Identity Theft

BIRMINGHAM, AL—JERRY PRIME, 32, and JERMAINE LUMSDEN, 27, both of New York, New York, were each indicted today for one count of access device fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of wire fraud. Both men are accused of making fraudulent purchases with counterfeit credit cards. This indictment is announced today by United States Attorney Alice H. Martin, Martin Phanco, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Criminal Investigations, and the United States Secret Service.

“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes,” stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “Keeping a check on your credit rating to insure your identity hasn’t been stolen, as well as treating your social security number as if it were a key to your bank account, are initial steps to stopping this sort of crime.”

Martin D. Phanco, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service said, “Martin D. Phanco, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service said, “Less than 4% of all identity thefts start with the U.S. Mail, but when identity thieves use the mail to further their scheme, Postal Inspectors work with federal prosecutors to bring them to justice”.

This investigation was led by Springville, Alabama Police Officers, U.S. Secret Service Special Agents, and United States Postal Inspectors as part of the North Alabama Identity Theft Task Force. The North Alabama Identity Theft Task Force is comprised of United States Postal Inspectors; Special Agents of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Social Security Administration OIG, the Internal Revenue Service CID; Investigators from the Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Offices and the Alabama Department of Public Safety; Detectives from the Pelham, Springville, Helena, UAB Police Departments; and Prosecutors from the United States Attorney's Office and the Jefferson Countyand Tuscaloosa County District Attorney's Offices. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beau Brown, on behalf of the United States.

The maximum penalty for access device fraud is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.00, or both. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 30 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory 2 year prison sentence consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment only contains charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.