BOSTON — A brazen case of identity theft has come to light in the city, with a local man facing serious charges after falsely representing another person’s Social Security number.
Basil Ledgister, 41, a Jamaican national, pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft in federal court in Boston.
According to authorities, Ledgister committed the crimes in January 2015, when he falsely represented that a Social Security number belonging to another person was his in an application for a license at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2018. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Richardson of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Peter Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office, Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today.
The crimes of false representation of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Defendant: Basil Ledgister
Criminal Charges: Misuse of a Social Security number, Aggravated identity theft
City and State: Boston, Massachusetts
Exact Date: January 2015
Sentence or Outcome: Scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2018
Dollar Amounts: $250,000 (fine for both charges)
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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