The significance to the headline, “Sex offender pleads guilty to identity theft” is not necessarily immediately apparent.  Recently Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, a convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in Wichita, Kansas to misusing a Social Security number.  What Neave-Ceniceros, an illegal immigrant had done was steal the name and Social Security number of Marcus Calvillo and use it to mask his status as an illegal alien.  However, he also used this name and Social Security number when he was arrested and convicted of a number of crimes including indecent liberties with a child.  The problems encountered by someone whose identity has been stolen by a criminal who then commits crimes in the name of the identity theft victim are tremendous.  Calvillo was fired from his job and had difficulty getting employment because his records indicated he was a convicted child sex offender.  Once Neave-Ceniceros is sentenced on July 25th, Calvillo will be able to start removing the seven felony convictions of which he was never guilty from his record.

TIPS

If you find that you are a victim of criminal identity theft, you should hire  lawyer and contact the police and the District Attorney’s office to straighten out the matter.  File a report indicating that you are the victim of identity theft.  It will be necessary for you to confirm your true identity through photographs and fingerprints. In addition, show law enforcement authorities your driver’s license, passport or any other identification that you might have that contains your photograph.

Get a letter from the District Attorney explaining the situation to have available if you are ever stopped for a traffic violation and your record is checked.  A few states have Identity Theft Passport programs through which anyone whose identity has been stolen by someone who uses it to commit crimes can, upon proving their identity, receive an Identity Theft Passport that protects them and confirms their true identity .  Even if your state does not have an Identity Theft Passport program, get a letter from the law enforcement agency that arrested the person using your name known as a “clearance letter” which indicates that you have not committed the crimes which were done by the identity thief who used your name.  Keep this document with you at all times.