New Jersey residents to be sentenced following identity fraud scheme

A Fort Lee, New Jersey, resident was one of four people who pleaded guilty on November 1 to an identity theft and bank-fraud scheme, NorthJersey.com reports. Byung Jang, 47, confessed in front of a federal court in Newark of conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and identity theft, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said in a statement. The four suspects were arrested along with 53 others in September 2010, when investigators dismantled an identity theft and fraud ring that was being organized by 45-year-old Sang-Hyun Park, the news source says. The scheme involved taking the stolen identities of Chinese immigrants and building up their credit scores. As the credit scores increased, the suspects opened up bank accounts and obtained credit cards in which they used to commit fraud. Byung Jang confessed to purchasing a Social Security card and a driver's license which he used to apply for credit cards and charged more than $200,000 on them. Byung Jang faces seven years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while his sentencing is scheduled for February 22, 2012.