Peninsula Man Sentenced for String of Fraudulent iPad Purchases

A Daly City man was sentenced to two years, eight months in prison Thursday for fraudulently purchasing more than 167 iPads, prosecutors said.

Jesus Binay Morales, 38, was convicted of using financial information from more than 24 victims to buy iPads at Verizon stores or kiosks in Burlingame, San Bruno and South San Francisco.

The 76 different transactions from July to October 2011 resulted in an estimated loss of more than $146,000, prosecutors said.

In the case that was brought before Judge Leland Davis, Morales pleaded no contest to felony counts of grand theft and identity theft, and admitted the theft of more than $65,000 on the condition that he serve two years and eight months in prison.

He will serve the time after finishing a federal prison sentence he’s already serving.

Attorney Tom Greenberg was representing Morales. He was assigned to the defendant through the San Mateo County’s private defender program in May, after Morales’s former attorney was arrested.

The attorney, Deron Kartoon, was arrested when a judge learned that his law license was inactive and that he had a warrant out for his arrest.

Kartoon, who promptly posted $15,000 bail, reportedly faced drug, identity theft and other charges in San Mateo and Marin counties.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock