Phil Nguyen, Identity Theft, Pennsylvania 2014

A California man has been charged with a brazen identity theft scheme that spanned multiple states, authorities announced yesterday.

Phil Nguyen, 67, of Garden Grove, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on charges of aggravated identity theft, and related offenses, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain luxury wrist watches from jewelry stores in State College, Pennsylvania, and in New York, New Jersey, and Nevada.

According to the indictment, Nguyen used counterfeit California driver’s licenses in the names of other persons to purchase and attempt to purchase Rolex and Omega watches from Kranich’s Jewelers in State College and four other jewelry stores in Orchard Park, New York, Marlton and Wayne, New Jersey, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nguyen also allegedly used counterfeit California driver’s licenses and fraudulent credit cards in submitting on-line credit applications to Wells Fargo, GE Capital Retail Bank, and TD Bank to pay for the watches.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Patton Township Police Department and the Centre County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney George J. Rocktashel.

Nguyen faces a combined maximum penalty of 67 years in prison, a fine of $2.25 million, and a supervised release term of five years.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/california-man-charged-identity-fraud-scheme