Winston Torres, Identity Theft, Idaho 2022

BOISE – A cross-state identity theft ring targeting Sprint customers has landed four New York men in federal prison. Winston Torres, 44, Edgar Rodriguez, 36, Andres Rodriguez, 59, and Kenneth DeJesus, 25, were sentenced this week for a scheme designed to fraudulently obtain iPhones using stolen identities.

According to court documents, the quartet conspired to commit wire fraud and identity theft by pilfering personal identification information from legitimate Sprint customers. They then manufactured false identification cards – bearing their own photos but with the stolen details – to purchase iPhones at Sprint stores, racking up thousands in losses. The operation wasn’t limited to digital theft; it involved the creation and use of physical, fraudulent IDs.

The crew hit the road in March 2019, traveling from New York to Oregon and Idaho to execute their scheme. Sprint stores in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, as well as Ontario, Oregon, Boise, and Garden City, Idaho, were all targeted. Authorities caught up with the men in Garden City, where a search of their vehicle revealed a stash of 12 additional fake IDs, further cementing the scale of their operation. The scheme involved considerable planning and interstate travel, suggesting a well-organized criminal effort.

U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, sitting by designation, handed down the harshest sentences. Winston Torres received 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Edgar Rodriguez was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, also with three years of supervised release. Both Torres and Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charges on October 20, 2021. Andres Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty on December 10, 2019, received a six-month prison sentence and two years of supervised release.

Kenneth DeJesus, the youngest of the group, received a 12-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release after entering a guilty plea on March 14, 2022. Senior U.S. District Judge Bill R. Wilson, also sitting by designation, delivered the sentence. The varying sentence lengths likely reflect the extent of each defendant’s involvement in the overall scheme.

U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho, announced the sentencing, praising the collaborative effort of the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple local police departments – Boise, Garden City, Lewiston, and Ontario, Oregon – for bringing the perpetrators to justice. This case highlights the increasing sophistication of identity theft schemes and the importance of interagency cooperation in combating financial crime.

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