A New Hampshire man on Monday pleaded guilty in federal court in Portland, Maine to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Dominic Barbosa, aka Christopher Barnhart, 29, of Manchester, N.H., was accused of obtaining the identification of individuals without their knowledge or consent from at least March 2019 through March 2022.
In court records, federal prosecutors alleged Barbosa stole mail in Massachusetts, N.H. and Maine, including bank account statements, tax returns, and other documents containing other individuals’ personal identifying information.
After allegedly stealing the mail, Barbosa would apply for duplicate driver’s licenses for others, often changing the address, and then use the fraudulent licenses to make purchases, enter into contracts, and to open bank accounts, credit card accounts and lines of credit in others’ names, prosecutors said.
When questioned by a U.S. Postal Inspector, Barbosa allegedly stated that he had a cloud database with stolen identities, and investigators in Massachusetts found bins of mail and photocopies of identifying information in a storage unit rented by Barbosa.
On the wire fraud charge, Barbosa faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss on one count of wire fraud — whichever is greater.
For the aggravated identity theft charge, Barbosa faces a minimum of two years imprisonment, to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, South Berwick Police Department, Litchfield Police Department (N.H.), North Reading Police Department (Mass.), Salem Police Department (N.H.), United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
