A Houston man has been ordered to prison after using personal information purchased on the dark web to buy two expensive vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jay Patrick Morgan, 43, pleaded guilty to the charges on October 21, 2021. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos sentenced him to 24 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Morgan was also ordered to pay $31,409.37 in restitution to compensate for damages and the diminished value of the recovered property.
Morgan purchased a 2015 Ford F250 Platinum Edition pickup truck, valued at more than $59,000, on March 8, 2019. The following week, he bought a 2019 Rockwood 5th Wheel recreational vehicle (RV), valued at more than $57,000, from a dealer in the Corpus Christi area.
In both instances, Morgan used the Social Security number and other identifying information of another individual with a similar name to finance the total value of each vehicle. The victim later contacted authorities after discovering numerous credit inquiries and several new credit accounts he had not requested.
The investigation confirmed the victim had not opened any of the credit accounts and no payments had been made on any of the accounts. Both the pickup truck and the RV were listed as stolen vehicles. In August 2019, local authorities conducted a traffic stop on the stolen pickup, and Morgan was driving. He admitted to acquiring the pickup truck using a Social Security number he had purchased with Bitcoin currency from a site on the dark web.
Morgan also admitted to fraudulently using the same information to purchase an RV, which he had subsequently sold to another individual. The Secret Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of police departments in Corpus Christi and Deer Park. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. prosecuted the case.
Morgan has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Defendant: Jay Patrick Morgan
Criminal Charges: ID Theft
City and State: Corpus Christi, Texas
Exact Date: October 21, 2021 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: 24 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release
Dollar Amounts: $31,409.37 in restitution
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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