Clovis Man Copped 34 Months for Identity Theft, Bank Fraud

Johnny Kajitani Jr., 47, of Clovis, is headed to federal prison for nearly three years after stealing identities to fund a six-figure fraud spree that left banks and victims on the hook for nearly $60,000. On Monday, he was sentenced to two years and 10 months behind bars for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott confirmed.

U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd didn’t just hand down prison time—he ordered Kajitani to pay $44,000 in restitution to the financial institutions and individuals he exploited. The sentence marks the end of a years-long fraud scheme that began in 2012 and stretched into 2014, exploiting the personal data of at least two unsuspecting victims.

Court records show Kajitani first snatched the Social Security number of a woman without her knowledge. In October 2012, he used it to join a local credit union in Fresno County. From there, he pulled a $30,000 vehicle loan and a Platinum Visa card with a $7,500 limit—all under her name. The credit union took a loss exceeding $30,000 when the loans went bust.

By 2014, Kajitani struck again—this time stealing another person’s full identity, including their Social Security number. That September, he opened four credit cards without the victim’s consent. He maxed them out, then vanished. Four banks were left eating nearly $30,000 in unrecovered debt.

The FBI led the investigation, peeling back layers of deception as Kajitani tried to live off stolen credit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers prosecuted the case, pushing for accountability in a crime that ruins lives long after the charges are filed.

Identity theft isn’t a victimless scam. It destroys credit, wrecks financial stability, and takes years to unwind. Johnny Kajitani Jr. now has time to think about that—34 months’ worth—while the people he stole from try to rebuild.