Law enforcement officials in New York nabbed an identity theft ring accused of stealing children’s Social Security numbers. Although the group was based in the Buffalo area, it targeted children throughout the United States.

Eight people were charged with identity theft following a 16-month investigation conducted by New York State Police in conjunction with the Social Security Administration (SSA). One of the individuals arrested in the scheme was 49-year-old Darrius R. Outling. He was charged with four counts of first-degree identity theft, one count of second-degree identity theft and two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud.

Outling was accused of stealing the Social Security numbers of children as young as 11 years old nationwide. He then allegedly sold the information to seven other participants who used it to acquire credit cards for illegal purchases totaling in excess of $400,000. The Office of the Inspector General of the SSA has joined forces with major credit bureaus to repair the credit of the affected children.

Law enforcement agencies have recently ramped up their efforts to combat identity theft and other types of fraud. If you have been accused of identity theft in New York, contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at Brill Legal Group to learn how we can defend you from the allegations.