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ID Theft Gang Busted in Va. Jails
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – In a shocking case of ID theft, three individuals from Norfolk and Portsmouth were charged with allegedly stealing the identities of inmates housed in local jails.
Delanio Vick, 31, Teresa Gallop, 49, and Jessie Davis, 20, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements in an application to a federally insured institution, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, the trio conspired to obtain the personal property and identifying information of inmates housed in local jails. They recruited inmates to retain the services of a fictitious legal services company, FamUnited, also known as Famm United or FamilyTranzitions.
The conspirators then posed as paralegals during recorded jail calls with the inmates, falsely promising to help them obtain bonds in exchange for the release of their personal property from the jails’ custody. Some inmates agreed to release their property as instructed, while others had their property released through forged property release forms submitted to the jail.
After obtaining the inmates’ property, including wallets and cell phones, the conspirators accessed and opened bank accounts in the inmates’ names. In some cases, they created forged durable powers of attorney that purported to authorize them to act on the inmates’ behalf. They then used these documents to add themselves as authorized users to the inmates’ existing bank accounts and conduct fraudulent transactions.
The defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison to run consecutive to a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison. The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Norfolk and Newport News Police Departments.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 804-418-6104.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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