Florida Man Arrested And Charged With Wire Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft
On January 11th, 2024, the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that Noah Michael Urban—a 19-year-old man from Palm Coast, Florida—has been arrested and charged with a white collar crime. The defendant in this federal case is now facing a felony wire fraud charge and a felony aggravated identity theft charge. Here, our Orlando white collar criminal defense attorney discusses the case.
The Allegations: Teenager Commits $800,000 Fraud Scheme
Federal prosecutors contend that 19-year-old Noah Michael Urban of Flagler County used several aliases—including “King Bob” and “Anthony Ramirez”—to carry out a white collar fraud scheme. Mr. Urban faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge and a mandatory minimum of 2 years for the identity theft charges. He was arrested at his home in January of 2024. According to prosecutors, he defrauded five victims out of $800,000. The case is being handled, in part, by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
An Overview of the Criminal Charges
The defendant in this case is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. He is facing serious white collar federal criminal charges. Here is an overview of the specific charges:
- Wire Fraud: Wire fraud is a serious white collar criminal offense that involves the use of interstate communications to carry out a scheme to defraud or obtain money or property under false pretenses. It is often brought in cases where individuals use the internet, telephone, or other forms of electronic communication to deceive and illegally gain financial benefits. The crime of wire fraud requires the prosecution to prove the existence of a scheme to defraud, the defendant’s knowing and willing participation in this scheme, and the use of interstate wire communications to further the fraudulent activity.
- Aggravated Identity Theft: Aggravated identity theft is a federal offense that involves knowingly transferring, possessing, or using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person. The criminal charge is often, but not always added to other offenses—including wire fraud, when the criminal activity includes the unauthorized use of someone else’s personal information. That personal information could be any combination of any type of sensitive identifying information, such as Social Security numbers (SSN), credit card details, and even a mother’s maiden name. The key element of this crime is the intentional misuse of another individual’s identity to commit, aid, or abet any unlawful activity. Unlike standard identity theft, aggravated identity theft is considered more serious and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.
Get Help From Our Orlando, FL White Collar Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
At The Baez Law Firm, our Orlando white collar criminal defense attorney fights hard to protect the rights of our clients. Are you or your loved one facing a wire fraud charge or identity theft charge? We are more than ready to help. Contact us right away for a fully confidential case review. From our Orlando office, we defend white collar criminal charges all across Central Florida.
Source:
justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/palm-coast-man-arrested-wire-fraud-and-aggravated-identity-theft-charges
