Crime & Safety
Yonkers Man Sentenced for Identity Theft Involving Forged Credit Cards, Drivers Licenses
More than 80 forged credit cards were found hidden in the rental car.
HARTSDALE, NY — A Yonkers man has been sentenced to prison for identity theft, involving more than 80 forged credit cards.
Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced Tuesday that Gabriel Young, 26, of Secor Place pleaded guilty Oct. 11, 2016, to second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony.
He will go to prison for one to three years.
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On Dec. 1, 2015, co-defendent Omar Hidalgo entered the Best Buy on Central Avenue in Hartsdale with a forged Georgia drivers license that had his picture on it but had the name Daniel Lopez.
Hidalgo also had a forged credit card with the Lopez name on it and tried to buy an iPad.
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Greenburgh police were already on scene and were approached by the store manager who thought the license and credit card were suspect.
Police determined them to be fraudulent.
Hidalgo left the store and went to a vehicle where he was joined by Young, who was carrying bags of food from a nearby Smash Burger.
Young was the driver of the vehicle and Hidalgo was the passenger, police said.
Hidalgo was removed from the vehicle and the forged license and multiple forged credit cards were found in his wallet.
After Young was taken out of the car, police found a cellphone, four forged credit cards and some cash between the driver’s seat and the console.
The car was impounded and police found 83 forged credit cards under the passenger floor, along with a forged Connecticut license.
One of the 83 forged credit cards was used by Young to purchase food from the restaurant.
The car had been rented by Hidalgo.
Police said they also recovered multiple purchases of PS4 game systems and dozens of high-dollar-value gift cards.
Hidalgo pleaded guilty Sept. 8, 2016, to second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony.
He will be sentenced Nov. 29, 2016.
Young was remanded into the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections.
Image via Shutterstock.
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