Olatunji Oluwatosin, 42, from North Hollywood, was
sentenced in February to 16 months in prison for his involvement in
the fraudulent accessing of ChoicePoint's massive credit database,
which is normally used by businesses such as credit reference
agencies, marketing agencies and insurance firms.
ChoicePoint discovered the breach in October but, on police
instructions, kept this quiet until February, when it notified
around 148,000 customers that their information might have been
accessed.
At the time the company warned that the fraudsters, who posed as
legitimate companies to gain access to the database, may have seen
consumers' names, addresses, Social Security numbers and credit
reports. Prosecutors now say that over 1,500 people were actually
affected by the breach, with their stolen information being used to
access existing accounts or create new ones.
According to District Attorney Steve Cooley, losses to
ChoicePoint are almost $2 million, while losses to the Bank of
America, Citibank, Bank One, Household Bank and Discover from
linked schemes are $2 million.
Oluwatosin was arrested in February and pleaded guilty to one
count of identity theft. However, investigations have continued and
Oluwatosin has now also been charged with: one count of conspiracy
to commit computer access fraud; five counts of grand theft; 14
counts of identity theft; and two counts of credit card access
fraud.
"The 22-count Grand Jury indictment unsealed today represents
one of the largest cases of identity theft ever prosecuted in Los
Angeles County," said Cooley.
The indictment alleges that beginning on 3rd Jan
2002, someone set up mail drops in Beverly Hills, North Hollywood,
Encino, North Hills and West Hollywood, creating bogus businesses
and then accessing ChoicePoint to search for the personal
information of thousands of victims.
Oluwatosin allegedly made payments on some ChoicePoint accounts,
possessed postal box keys for a mailbox associated with an account
and possessed contact phones used as contact points for the
ChoicePoint Accounts and to access some victims' credit
accounts.
He faces a further 22 years in prison if convicted.
A related but separate case has also been filed against another
Nigerian national, 43-year-old Kabiru Olatunde Ipaye. He is charged
with receiving stolen property, access fraud, possessing a forged
driver's license and other counts, according to LA prosecutors.
The cases are apparently related because personal information
taken from ChoicePoint was used at mail drops associated with
Ipaye.
