Pubdate: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 Source: Desert Sun, The (CA) Copyright: 2005 The Desert Sun Contact: http://www.thedesertsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1112 Author: Marie McCain Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) ADDICTS TURN TO IDENTITY THEFT TO SUPPORT HABITS More and more methamphetamine users are turning to identity theft as a way to pay for their illicit drug habits, law enforcement officials say. The problem has become so rampant in Riverside County that it "very likely" helped boost the county to No. 2 on the Federal Trade Commission's list of areas with the most incidents of identity theft, according to Steven Counelis. A Riverside County deputy district attorney, Counelis specializes in prosecuting computer and technology crimes. "My experience with the cases I've prosecuted leads me to believe there is a strong anecdotal connection between meth abuse and identity theft and that ranking," he said. Meth is the leading drug of choice in Riverside County, according to law enforcement officials. And in the Coachella Valley, it has contributed to an overall increase in property crime - including mail theft, credit card theft and other forms of identity theft - because addicts need a way to pay for their drug, according to authorities. "Stolen mail is used as currency," Counelis added. He pointed to the case of Terry Reed, who was convicted in 2004 after he pleaded guilty to 24 criminal charges, including multiple counts of burglary and forgery as well as charges of possession of a forged driver's license or identity card and possession of meth. A judge ordered him to serve one year and four months in prison, according to court records. Counelis, who prosecuted Reed, said investigators found him inside a motel room in Murietta. Besides evidence of meth use, investigators found that Reed had a computer, a scanner and computer software that creates checks. He also had stolen checks, forged checks and stolen mail that was used to create the bogus checks. "He could stay up all night and use the computer and scanner to scan driver's licenses and credit cards and then manipulate those with the software he had to make fake checks and credit cards," Counelis said. Reed's actions, he said, affected four victims. Property, not blood To those who commit this kind of infraction, identity theft is a bloodless crime. "It's so appealing to meth users because it's a property crime," said Commander Fred Fierro of the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force, which investigates street-level drug sales throughout the valley. "They know it carries a lesser penalty than a violent crime. And they figure that a judge is more likely to give them probation if they're convicted because the prison cell needs to go to the killer or the violent criminal." He said that several months ago, members of the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team made arrests in a local residential burglary ring and found that most of those arrested were meth users. During the arrests, Fierro said, the same investigators also found stolen mail that had been taken from Coachella Valley mailboxes. Some of that mail belonged to a Riverside County deputy district attorney who works with Counelis. He couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday, but according to The Associated Press, he had no idea his mail had been taken. Watch your mailbox Stealing mail is the simplest form of identity theft, authorities said. "They collect it and try and use it," Fierro said. "Think about all the credit card applications mailed out to people during the holiday season. You have to be vigilant and pay attention to your mail and your finances. Some dealers will barter and trade meth for whatever property the addict has. Some only take jewelry. Some only take credit cards. Some will take anything." And while the criminals may consider identity theft a somewhat minor crime, victims consider it one of the most egregious violations anyone can experience. Take Robert Burdick, a Desert Hot Springs resident whose identity, along with almost everything he owned, was stolen three years ago while he was in the hospital. Burdick, who is a paraplegic, has said that he sometimes still feels unsafe in his home and has problems sleeping because he fears he'll never be safe again. In July, during a court appearance for the woman who was arrested and charged with, essentially, stealing Burdick's life, he told a Riverside County judge that he had thought he was safe because relatives were taking care of his house and his finances while he was hospitalized. However, thieves noticed that newspapers had piled up at his front door, and they figured the house was empty. Thieves took everything Soon, not only were Burdick's money, credit cards and car gone, but the thief also stole all of his furniture and appliances and even the light fixtures on the outside of his house. Counelis, who is prosecuting the case, has called it one of the most egregious cases of identity theft in the desert. Tammy Parham, the North Palm Springs woman accused of stealing from Burdick, is scheduled to go to trial Jan. 30. Her attorney, Mickie Reed, has said that her client admits her involvement but refuses to accept a plea agreement offered by the prosecution because she would have to admit to things she didn't do. She has not been charged with any meth-related crimes in connection with the Burdick case; however she has come into contact with meth, according to court records. In 1998, Parham was convicted of possession of meth for sale, according to court records. So far, California laws still classify some identity theft crimes as misdemeanors, officials said. A plan that proposed to make possession of more than two stolen identities a felony stalled in the state Assembly Appropriations Committee in May. John Crounse, a Riverside County sheriff's detective with the Palm Desert station, urged residents to pay attention to their financial statements and never give out information over the phone. Crounse, who investigates financial crimes, said the only defense against this kind of crime is to check your credit statements and bank accounts regularly. "Anyone can be a victim," he said. Ned Charles, 68, of Palm Desert said he does not intend to become a victim. "I've bought myself a shredder for Christmas," he said. "I intend to get a lot of use out of it." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom