Yaw Okyere, a 33-year-old Ghanaian national living in Worcester, Massachusetts, was arrested Wednesday and charged with illegal possession of identification documents and aggravated identity theft, according to federal prosecutors.
Okyere was taken into custody following the execution of a search warrant at his Worcester apartment on March 7, 2018. Federal agents seized multiple computers and a printer, with one machine containing digital files of more than 190 Massachusetts driver’s licenses bearing different names and photographs.
During questioning, Okyere admitted he entered the U.S. years earlier on a visa, overstayed it, and did not know his current immigration status. He appeared before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy, who ordered him detained pending a probable cause and detention hearing set for March 13, 2018.
The criminal complaint charges Okyere with possessing five or more identification documents, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year sentence, to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Raymond Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent jointly announced the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The charges stem from allegations detailed in court filings. Yaw Okyere is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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