April 29, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO MAN SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN IDENTITY THEFT

SAN FRANCISCO – James Linville was sentenced Friday to 45 months in prison for assuming the identity of another person and possessing more than 15 credit cards in that person’s name, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.

Linville pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2008 to one count of Possession of Fifteen or more Counterfeit Access Devices and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft. According to the plea agreement, Linville admitted to knowingly possessing more than 15 counterfeit credit cards with the intent to defraud and, in connection with that fraud, possessing the identification of another person.

Linville, 34, of San Francisco, and Jason Vassil, also of San Francisco, were indicted by a federal grand jury on July 29, 2008. Linville was charged with producing a false California driver’s license, fraudulently possessing a California driver’s license in the name of Philip W., and possessing more than 15 counterfeit credit cards in Philip W.’s name. Vassil pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2009 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2009.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston following a guilty plea on one count of Possession of Fifteen or more Counterfeit Access Devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(3) and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of and 18 U.S.C. §1028A(a)(1). Judge Illston also sentenced the defendant to a three- year period of supervised release. The defendant began serving the sentence immediately.

Jeane Hamilton is the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rosario Calderon. The prosecution is the result of a nine-month investigation by the United States Secret Service.

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