A Hawaiian man was recently indicted after being accused of leading an extensive identity theft ring.
Pyong Pak was recently charged with 78 counts of identity theft and related charges, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The crimes are thought to have occurred from May to October of last year.
The ring affected a total of 145 residents in Oahu, according to the news source. The group used victims’ personal information to create fraudulent credit cards with which they were able to steal $195,000.
Pak, as well as other co-conspirators, were all charged after an investigation that lasted nearly a year, the news source reported. The Honolulu Police Department, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Secret Service, Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement and the state Sheriff’s Office were all involved in the investigation.
If convicted, Pak faces a maximum of 20 years in prison with no possibility of probation, the news source added. He was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for charges relating to identity theft and is currently on probation for that crime.
According to the latest Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, credit card fraud is the second most commonly reported form of identity theft.