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Five Ohio Residents Charged with SSN Misuse to Obtain Credit and Leases

March 13, 2019

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Criminal complaints were unsealed today that charge three men and two women with using false or stolen Social Security numbers to lease cars and apartments and get approximately $200,000 of credit.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Tracey Thanos, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Hilliard Police Chief Robert Fisher announced the complaints which were unsealed after the suspects were arrested.

 The criminal complaints charge the following five central Ohio residents:

Tommy Edwards Jr., 28, allegedly used three fake Social Security numbers – including two numbers belonging to children – and other fake identity documents to lease a car and three apartments in the Columbus area in 2016 through 2018.

Kiara Mitchell, 28, is charged with using a Social Security number belonging to a child to rent an apartment in Groveport.

Isaiah Burnley, 19, allegedly used false Social Security numbers and forged paycheck stubs to rent apartments in 2018

Wayne Hamler, 34, allegedly used a forged Social Security card to lease a car in 2018.

China Hester, 36, used a fake Social Security number to rent an apartment in the Columbus area in 2018.

The complaints also allege that Edwards, Mitchell, Burnley and Hamler used the false documents to get almost $200,000 in loans and credit cards. False representation of a Social Security number is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

Defendants were arrested today and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the charges.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, who is representing the United States in the case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Criminal complaints were unsealed today that charge three men and two women with using false or stolen Social Security numbers to lease cars and apartments and get approximately $200,000 of credit.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Tracey Thanos, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Hilliard Police Chief Robert Fisher announced the complaints which were unsealed after the suspects were arrested.

 The criminal complaints charge the following five central Ohio residents:

Tommy Edwards Jr., 28, allegedly used three fake Social Security numbers – including two numbers belonging to children – and other fake identity documents to lease a car and three apartments in the Columbus area in 2016 through 2018.

Kiara Mitchell, 28, is charged with using a Social Security number belonging to a child to rent an apartment in Groveport.

Isaiah Burnley, 19, allegedly used false Social Security numbers and forged paycheck stubs to rent apartments in 2018

Wayne Hamler, 34, allegedly used a forged Social Security card to lease a car in 2018.

China Hester, 36, used a fake Social Security number to rent an apartment in the Columbus area in 2018.

The complaints also allege that Edwards, Mitchell, Burnley and Hamler used the false documents to get almost $200,000 in loans and credit cards. False representation of a Social Security number is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

Defendants were arrested today and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the charges.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, who is representing the United States in the case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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