Cracking Down on Identity-Theft

Stolen identity is something everyone hopes will never happen to them. If it is a subject that hits close to home, perhaps Daniel M. Bossard’s imprisonment may set some minds at ease, because it appears that federal courts are cracking down even harder on such crimes. Bossard is one of three people to be sentenced to federal prison for identity-theft this year.

Almost a year ago, Bossard, Kenyetta Williams, and her husband, Delmar Williams, a couple from Ohio, were being put on trial, at the Federal Court in Columbus, Ohio, for their various money-stealing crimes. They were faced with the possibility of federal charges. In January, the Williams couple were sentenced to federal prison for massive identity-theft schemes, ranging from brank fraud to tax fraud.

Bossard, 33, of Ohio, gave a guilty plea to crimes, such as identity theft, bank fraud, and creating false tax documents in order to fraudulently claim tax refunds. He collected almost $200,000 in tax refunds because he filed over 100 bogus income tax documents. He stole the information to create the tax documents from the Edgar Archives found on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission online, which is a federal agency website. After further examination of how Bossard obtained the personal identifying information, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission took the information off the website.

Bossard will be imprisoned for almost a year and a half. He is also required to pay $5,404 in restitution.