Eight people accused of running a wide-reaching identity- theft scam were indicted Thursday by the Denver grand jury.
The group is accused of using the Internet to get into computer files from California to Virginia, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney’s office.
Using victims’ names and bank-account information, the ring opened bank accounts and deposited stolen and forged checks, the indictment said. Among the bogus documents they made were U.S. military identification cards, Colorado driver’s licenses and employee IDs.
The main goal was to steal money, motorized scooters, cars, electronic items, groceries, household items and computers and computer software, the grand jury said.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said that what started as a drug investigation late this summer turned into a national identity-theft probe.
Morrissey issued a national alert about the problem Oct. 27, warning computer users who use file-sharing software, specifically LimeWire.
Millions of computer users share files online every day. Whether it is music, games or software, file sharing can give people access to a wealth of information.
People with special software connect their computers to an informal network of other computers running the same software. Normally, people on the network allow only certain files to be shared, such as music or pictures. But the safeguards can be breached and other information stored on the computers can be compromised.
The group operated for about a year before Denver police discovered the operation.
Losses are estimated at more than $70,000 to victims,including such businesses as King Soopers, Kohl’s, Wells Fargo and Academy Bank. The ring is accused of cashing forged checks at those businesses as well as at Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot.
Investigators were able to recover counterfeit checks for more than $100,000 that had not yet been used.
The indictment identified the ring’s masterminds as Michael Sarrasin, 27; Shawn Adams, 32; and Tamara Stesney, 36, who operated out of apartments in the 1200 blocks of Vine and Clarkson streets and a house in the 2900 block of West 26th Avenue.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
