Long Island Woman Charged With Stealing Identities Of 500 People
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An arrest on Long Island has halted a scheme that plundered the identities of about 500 people, including the dead and disabled, in 31 states, authorities said Friday.
The scheme, with evidence dating back to 2013, netted more than $200,000 in ill-gotten gains, officials said.
Seerojnie Ram, 47, of Freeport, was arraigned Thursday on grand larceny and other charges.
Long Island Woman Charged With Stealing Identities Of 500 People To Collect Tax Refunds
More arrests are possible in the case, according to Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas and Claudia Angel, acting inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The defendant obtained lists of dead people, employees at private companies and customers entitled to discounts because of disabilities, authorities said. About 50 other identities were invented out of thin air, they said.
Among other things, Ram allegedly pilfered the names and social security numbers of about 250 people to receive thousands of dollars in tax refunds, authorities said.
"Many of these people could not have filed tax returns because, a, they were deceased or, b, disabled," Singas said. "This practice of stealing the identities of people who are deceased is called 'ghosting."
Ram is also accused of forging hundreds of postal and Internal Revenue Service forms to change the addresses of the people, alive or dead, whose identities she was using, authorities said.
Victim Thomas Licari, of Fire Island, told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan his life has been turned upside-down.
"I was totally blown away," he said. "You don't think it's going to happen to you. It's you, and somebody stole your identity. You're completely violated. You don't know where it's going to end up. And that's the scary part."
The defendant, who filed for bankruptcy this year and received Medicaid benefits, lavished money on cruises and trips to Atlantic City, New Jersey, leased a BMW and remodeled her kitchen, investigators said.
"Postal inspectors noticed that mail -- lots of mail -- with different names was all being sent to one address," Singas told reporters, including WCBS 880's Sophia Hall.
Investigators found a "massive paper trail" that included fraudulently obtained debit cards, credit cards and checks; fake IDs; lists of names; and forged federal government forms, according to Shams Tarek, a spokesman for Singas.
The realtor's neighbors were stunned.
"It's shocking that she could get away with so many," neighbor Sara Josloff told McLogan. "But you do hear about this identity theft. My social security number and my husband's were both compromised."
If convicted of the top charge, Ram could face up to 3 1/2 to seven years in prison. She could face additional charges when she returns to court Monday.
Ram has professed her innocence, McLogan reported.
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