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David
N. Kirkman
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North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services |
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Pair Sentenced for Stealing Identities, Rocky Mount
Man, Woman Sentenced for Stealing Identity and Social Security Checks
Rocky Mount, North Carolina natives Sam Battle, age 34, and Elizabeth Pittman, age 24 were sentenced in United States District Court for Identity Theft and theft of Social Security Checks.
According to statements from a Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General criminal investigator, these two attempted to cash stolen Social Security checks at a Rocky Mount grocery store. The stolen check and ID were referred to a Rocky Mount police officer who was at the store.
Battle and Pittman attempted to elude police and were apprehended by the Rocky Mount P.D., who found additional fake IDs, along with the stolen Social Security checks of at least four other victims.
The checks were returned to SSA, and the agency promptly re-issued the payments to the victims. Battle and Pittman were indicted by a federal grand jury on counts of Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail, Possession of Stolen Money and Identity Theft. They were arrested shortly thereafter and later pled guilty at their arraignment before U.S. Chief District Court Judge James C. Dever III, Eastern District of North Carolina (EDNC), in Raleigh.
On June 12, 2008, Battle was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment, four years supervised release and a $200.00 special assessment fee to the court for Aggravated Identity Theft and Possession of Stolen Money. Pittman was also sentenced to time served, supervised release and a court fee for Possession of Stolen Money and Identity Theft.
Don’t let this happen to you. To help protect yourself from identity thieves, have your benefits paid directly to your bank account via direct deposit. Direct deposit is the safest, most reliable, and most expedient method of payment. Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or via the internet at www.socialsecurity.gov/deposit to learn more about direct deposit. To anonymously report Social Security fraud to the agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), call 1-800-269-0271 or complete the online Fraud Reporting Form at www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/hotline. Also check out the agency’s redesigned home page and various online services available at www.socialsecurity.gov.
******End of Alert******
Date: August 4, 2008 |
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