Ringleader In Jeffco, Denver ID Theft Ring Sentenced to 24 Years

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — A man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for running an identity theft ring in metro Denver and Jefferson County. He was one of eight people indicted in the identity theft ring.

A Jefferson County jury found Michael John Mancuso, 29, guilty of 43 counts, including ID theft, forgery, aggravated motor vehicle theft and violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.

The jury deliberated two days following five days of trial, returning their verdicts on Aug. 28.

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Mancuso and members of the enterprise illegally obtained financial and personal information of real people, including names, addresses, credit card numbers, security codes and expiration dates, according to the First District Judicial Attorney's office.

The identity theft ring would buy goods and services, including bicycles, jewelry, clothing, motor vehicles, gift cards, and musical equipment using information from the credit cards, prosecutors said.

Often a member would contact a business by telephone and tell them they wanted to purchase an item for a relative, and then they would give the credit card information over the phone, the DA's office said. Another member of the group would pick up the pre-paid item and sell it to a pawn shop or second-hand store. Members would be paid, or promised, a fee for each item they sold, prosecutors said.

There were 35 victims, including merchants and individual victims whose credit card information was stolen and used by the enterprise. There was over $38,000 in fraudulent transactions, in addition to $20,000 in thwarted attempts to use the financial information.