Identity theft – http://www.myfloridalegal.com/identitytheft

Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agents have arrested a Hialeah man on charges he stole another man’s identity and used the victim’s information to purchase more than $30,000 worth of appliances from home improvement stores throughout South Florida.

Agents arrested Damian Manuel Gonzalez, 29, today and charged him with criminal misuse of personal identification, organized scheme to defraud and grand theft. Authorities said Gonzalez is accused of stealing $32,218 worth of merchandise from The Home Depot and Expo Design Center stores in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Authorities have identified 17 stores that were victimized by Gonzalez.

The investigation began earlier this year after The Home Depot’s Loss Prevention Investigations Department contacted investigators concerning suspicious purchases and possible identity theft. Authorities said Gonzalez used the male victim’s identity to open a credit line at a store and then called the company’s credit unit to have himself added as an authorized secondary card user. Investigators said Gonzalez used that scenario multiple times so that he could establish five credit accounts.

Once an account had been established, Gonzalez would buy multiple gift cards and merchandise, including bathroom vanities, refrigerators, ceiling fans and coffee makers. When he would attempt to purchase the items, he would tell the cashiers that he did not have his card with him and would instead write the number down on a piece of paper. When the store employees would call to verify the number, it would show Gonzalez to be an authorized secondary user on the card.

Authorities said Gonzalez later would contact the company’s customer service department to report that the assigned card number had been stolen or lost. He then would obtain a new card number and purchase more items and gift cards, which usually were for $500 each. Gonzalez would tell the employees that the primary card user was his pregnant wife, girlfriend or mother.

Once the items had been fraudulently purchased, Gonzalez would load them onto a truck he drove to the store. Authorities suspect he resold many of these items to other parties. The investigation is continuing and the case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Charlie Crist’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.