Identity Thief Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison

Identity thief Temilade Adekunle, 32, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit identity theft and wire fraud.

Adekunle pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey.

According to court documents, Adekunle was a member of a conspiracy that fraudulently obtained money by committing identity theft and impersonating account holders. On August 8, 2017, a member of the conspiracy contacted an entity where an individual (Victim 2) had an account, impersonating Victim 2 and asking to withdraw approximately $85,000 from the account.

The entity sent a check through a mail carrier to the account holder’s address, and a member of the conspiracy caused the mail carrier to hold the package containing the check for Victim 2 at one of its branch locations. On August 14, 2017, Adekunle entered the branch and used a driver’s license with his picture and Victim 2’s name and address to obtain the package containing the check.

Adekunle’s sentencing also includes three years of supervised release, including 10 months of home confinement.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, Utah, with the investigation leading to Adekunle’s sentencing.

Adekunle is represented by Jean Barrett Esq. of Montclair, New Jersey, and the government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.