A Charlotte man has been brought to justice for his role in creating and using fake US passport cards to swindle multiple lines of credit. Calvin Williams, 31, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. for creating counterfeit U.S. passport cards and using them to obtain multiple lines of credit.
According to court documents and court proceedings, between late 2019 and May 2022, Williams forged U.S. passport cards using the personal identifying information of victims of identity theft. The U.S. passport card is a wallet-sized passport that serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identity, and allows for travel to and from certain countries. Williams created the fraudulent passport cards in the names of identity theft victims, substituting the photographs of the victims with his own photograph.
He then used the fake passport cards to open multiple lines of credit with various retail and online stores in order to purchase new iPhones and other electronic items. Law enforcement seized over 30 forged passport cards from Williams during the investigation. This brazen scheme continued even after Williams was placed on state probation for convictions involving identity theft and obtaining property by false pretenses.
On April 19, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to passport forgery. He is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King praised the cooperation of the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service has a dedicated email address for reporting passport and visa fraud: PassportVisaFraud@state.gov. The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity related to passport or visa applications.
The consequences of identity theft and passport forgery can be severe, and it’s essential that individuals take precautions to protect their personal identifying information. This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the digital age.
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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