Kamala Harris - For California Attorney General 2010

District Attorney Harris and US Secret Service Fight Financial Crime




Former Bank Employee Arrested and Charged with Identity Theft

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – District Attorney Kamala D. Harris was joined by Jean Mitchell, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service San Francisco Field Office to announce the arrest and charging of Jagil Damien Stafford, DOB: 4/10/74 on a DA warrant for six felony counts related to an identity theft scam. 

“Our financial well-being depends on protecting the integrity of our personal information, which is why it is crucial to stop ID thieves in their tracks,” said District Attorney Kamala D. Harris. “An estimated 10 million Americans were victims of ID theft last year and the problem is growing. ID theft is a crime of opportunism that law enforcement must be vigilant in fighting.”

Defendant Stafford is charged with six felony violations of the California Penal Code, specifically: one count in violation of Section 508 [Embezzlement]; one count in violation of 530.5(c)(3) [Identity Theft: Possession of 10 or more persons personal identifying information], three counts in violation of 530.5 (d)(1) [Identity Theft: Transfer of Sale of Personal Identifying Information], and one count in violation of 530.5(d)(2) [Identity Theft: Transfer with Knowledge of Future Identity Theft].

Defendant Stafford entered a plea of not guilty before the Honorable Paul Alvarado in Department 9 of San Francisco Superior Court on May 1, 2009. At the time of arraignment, bail was reduced from $250,000 to $100,000 over the objection of the District Attorney’s Office.

According to court records, over a period of six months beginning in April 2007, defendant Stafford, a mailroom supervisor at a local bank is alleged to have opened mail containing personal identifying information on commercial and personal checks deposited with the bank. He is further alleged to have copied those checks and sold those copies as part of a larger identity theft scheme. 

When the conduct was discovered by bank officials, it was reported to authorities. Special Agents of the United States Secret Service - San Francisco Field Office immediately began an investigation in cooperation with the bank. The investigation revealed that the defendant may have opened as many as 560 pieces of mail. Defendant Stafford was fired from the bank in September 2007. 

Secret Service Agents conducted an investigation and worked together with a specially assigned identity theft prosecutor from the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, the culmination of which resulted in the arrest of Stafford on April 30, 2009 on a DA warrant. Defendant Stafford’s prosecution is being directed by the ID Theft Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Michael Sullivan is the prosecuting attorney.

"Having dedicated law enforcement teams to identify, investigate and prosecute suspected ID thieves like this defendant is essential because unlike pick-pocketing or purse snatching, identity theft is not a crime where the victim immediately knows he or she has been violated," said District Attorney Kamala D. Harris.

Defendant Stafford appeared today, May 4, 2009 before the Honorable Kay Tsenin to set a date for the preliminary hearing of May 13, 2009. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for May 7, 2009. If convicted the defendant faces a maximum state prison sentence of 7 years.

“This case is a good example of how our close working relationship with the San Francisco District Office has provided us the opportunity to protect the citizens of San Francisco,” said Jean Mitchell, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service San Francisco Field Office. “Our proactive approach of combating identity theft has been proven to be effective.”

In February of 2009, another defendant, Bradley Williams, was charged by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office with eight felony counts related to ID and mail theft, as a result of a joint investigation by the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service.

Defendant Williams is alleged to have almost 2,000 documents in his possession, containing the personal information of more than 1,100 individuals. The information was allegedly obtained by the defendant through the theft of mail. He is currently in custody awaiting the start of a preliminary hearing. His next scheduled court date is May 21, 2009 in Department 12 of San Francisco Superior Court.
 
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