BIRMINGHAM - A federal grand jury today indicted a Birmingham man for stealing someone’s identifying personal information and using it to fraudulently obtain credit, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Postal Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez.
A six-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges MARKEZ J. MCCONNICO, 34, with two counts each of mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment charges McConnico with opening two credit cards in the victim’s name, and also changing the victim’s Mobile mailing address to McConnico’s mailing address in Birmingham. McConnico added himself as an authorized user to the credit cards, causing the credit card issuers to mail the credit cards to McConnico at his address in July 2015, according to the indictment.
McConnico also is charged with gaining access to the victim’s Belk charge account using the victim’s Social Security number. McConnico made at least two charges to the victim’s Belk charge account in September and October 2015, according to the indictment.
The maximum penalty for both mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Barlow is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
