Damien Dennis had a lead foot which proved to be his own demise. When he was pulled over for speeding in February 2020, Dennis was driving with a suspended license and was arrested. But low and behold, officers found in Dennis’s car, eight driver’s licenses belonging to real people living in seven states, a social security card, blank W-2 forms, blank check papers, and bank cards. They also found a badge maker and a laminator. Al the tools necessary to create documents needed commit fraud and identity theft. Which is what Dennis did from the comfort of his car. And not just himself. But for his students too. For Dennis considered himself a teacher of fraud.
Dennis bought the identification documents from unknown people on the dark web and would use the information to create profiles to sell to others. A resale business of stolen identities of sorts. He also used the equipment and documents found in his car to make all the necessary documents for his customers who needed them for fraudulent uses. Is there any other kind of use for stolen identities? Dennis had extensive conversations by cell phone where he taught various individuals how to use the fake profiles to request and obtain bank loans. How did Dennis know how to do this? It was a system Dennis perfected himself.
Dennis used stolen identities to open fraudulent bank accounts at local credit unions. He would provide a fraudulent license containing a picture of himself and along with fraudulent pay documents outlining his purported employment at local companies. After completing a “New Membership Application” using the stolen personal identifying information, credit unions would approve a bank account application and a personal loan. Dennis would subsequently make a cash withdrawal for the full amount. And never come back.
Dennis faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, which will be served consecutively to 12 years for his sentence in Florida for bank fraud.
Kudos to the Georgia police force in catching Damien Dennis.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Florida man already serving time pleads guilty to stealing, trading Georgia IDs on dark web” published by WSBTV News on February 9, 2024
The U.S. Department of Justice says a man from Florida, already serving 10 years in prison for committing fraud back home, has pleaded guilty to stealing identities in southwest Georgia.
According to federal officials, Damien D. Dennis, 44 of Middleburg, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft on Feb. 7. The DOJ said Dennis was caught “trading personal identification information with individuals on the dark web, as well as showing others how to get fraudulent bank loans.”
