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JAMICA--A janitor employed by a Fort Totten Army base subcontractor has been charged with stealing the personal identities of over 150 United States Army reservists -- many deployed in the Middle East -- in a credit card fraud scheme in which over $2,700 in Internet orders for clothing and other merchandise were placed with various retail stores.
Edwin Gomez, 35, of 177-09 110 Ave. Jamica, Queens, is alleged to have had an unauthorized credit card in the name of an Army Reservist and 15 pages in personnel lists and other military documents containing the names, ranks and the serial numbers of over 150 Army Reservists when he was arrested Tuesday after being taken into custody at his Jamaica, Queens residence.
"The defendant's alleged victims are all Army reservists who he allegedly assumed would not learn that they had been scammed until after they returned from their Middle East tours of duty, one from Kuwait" Queens district attorney Richard Brown said. "The defendant's alleged actions are particularly egregious because he victimized members of our armed forces who had placed themselves in harm's way in order to protect our national security. He will be vigorously prosecuted."
Gomez had been employed as a janitor for about three days by TM Enterprises, a subcontractor providing maintenance services at the United States Army Base Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens. The defendant has been charged with identity theft in the first degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree and unlawful possession of personal identification information in the third degree. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The District Attorney said that the investigation began earlier this month after an Army reservist returned from a tour of duty in Kuwait and discovered that there were unauthorized credit card charges on his credit report and made a complaint to his local precinct in Staten Island that his identity had been stolen. The victim's complaint sparked a joint investigation with the United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division and the New York City Police Department's 103 Precinct and the District Attorney's Economic Crimes Bureau that has resulted in the defendant's arrest and the filing of criminal charges.
According to a criminal court complaint, between Sept. 1 and Nov. 14, the defendant was employed as a maintenance worker at Fort Totten in Bayside, Queens. It is alleged that the defendant stole 15 pages of military personnel lists and other military documents that contained personal information including names, ranks assigned to various commands in Fort Totten, position numbers, serial numbers and other information of over 150 Army reservists.
The District Attorney said that it is further alleged that on Oct. 18, the defendant submitted an Internet credit card application to American Express in the name of Michael Bitondo, and stated that he was employed by the U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Totten, used the email address edgo70@yahoo.com and requested the credit card be mailed to the his Jamaica residence.
Brown said that it is additionally alleged that in September 2005 the defendant submitted an Internet credit card application to Neiman Marcus in the name of Michael Bitondo and requested that the credit card be mailed to his Jamaica residence. The DA said that the investigation has disclosed that on Nov. 1, 2005 an Internet order was placed on the Neiman Marcus account for merchandise consisting of various items of clothing, including expensive jeans and shirts, totaling $2,700 and requesting that the merchandise be shipped to the defendant's Jamaica residence.
Brown said that it is alleged that on Monday, Nov. 14, an undercover US Postal Inspector went to the defendant's residence to deliver the Neiman Marcus merchandise. It is further alleged that the defendant answered the door, identified himself as the Army Reservist to whom the order was addressed and signed for the package using his own name.
The criminal court complaint also states that postal inspectors also recovered handwritten lists of names of individuals, some of whom appear on the military personnel lists, with Social Security numbers and merchandise order information, credit card statements and personal checks in names other than that of defendant Gomez and handwritten notations indicating that the defendant had placed orders at Victorias Secret, Dell, Lane Bryant, Radio Shack, Seamans and other merchants using the names of legitimate individuals. 11-16-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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