Jenaro Blalock, Identity Theft, Virginia 2014

A Virginia man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for leading an identity theft ring that stole over 600 identities and caused more than $1 million in losses.

Jenaro Blalock, 31, of Clinton, MD, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2013, to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, between June 2011 and July 2013, Blalock and co-leader Christopher Bush recruited women with access to identity information through their employers to steal more than 600 identities, primarily belonging to employees of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Blalock provided blank driver’s licenses so that Bush could make fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing the victims’ real names, addresses, and dates of birth. Blalock also made fraudulent credit cards bearing victims’ names.

Members of the identity theft ring, including Blalock, used those fraudulent driver’s licenses and victims’ social security numbers to open instant credit lines at retailers and obtain rental cars, which were frequently sold on the black market with altered vehicle identification numbers.

On January 17, 2014, Blalock was sentenced by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton to serve 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Fairfax County Police Department, with assistance from several other law enforcement agencies.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Peter Roman of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Kelly of the Eastern District of Virginia.

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