North Brunswick Woman Admits To Running Identity Theft Scheme

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Think identity theft doesn't happen? One of your North Brunswick neighbors just admitted to participating in an identity theft scheme that caused between $150,000 and $250,000 in losses, and involved more than 10 separate victims.

Alexus Omowole, 22, of North Brunswick, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to participating in a credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

From July 2017 to January 2018, Omowole and Henry Abdul, a conspirator who was charged in January 2018 in connection with the scheme, participated in a conspiracy to obtain control of and use credit card accounts of others through a fraudulent scheme commonly referred to as a “credit card takeover” scheme. In a takeover scheme, a person who is not the account owner or authorized user of a credit card account contacts the financial institution and poses as the account owner in order to change the personal information associated with the account to information familiar to the unauthorized user.

The information changed may include the residence, email address, or telephone number associated with the account. These changes to the account are designed to give the unauthorized user control of the account without the actual account owners’ knowledge or authorization, and may permit the unauthorized user to receive new credit cards associated with the compromised accounts. Once in control of the account, the unauthorized users make purchases, transfer funds to other accounts under the user’s control, or sell the account information to third parties.

Abdul’s residential address was used as part of the takeover conspiracy, and both Abdul and Omowole profited from the conspiracy by using several compromised credit cards at various retail locations in New Jersey and elsewhere.

The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2018.

Shutterstock photo/Brian A Jackson