Have you been arrested or charged with Identity theft? Identity theft occurs when identifying information of a person is utilized to obtain goods. It is a Theft charge that is closely related to Credit Card Abuse. As our private personal information floats through the internet, the offense of identity theft occurs more frequently than ever. As a result, law enforcement has been pursuing these charges and fighting for convictions more aggressively.
What are the Penalties for Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a serious accusation. A conviction for identity theft begins at a State Jail Felony and goes up from there. Also, a conviction can impact your life beyond the conviction. A conviction can affect your employment, your ability to get into college, and especially law school and medical school. If you have been arrested, you need to consult with an attorney who can help you develop a gameplan to fight a conviction.
How is Identity Theft Defined?
In Texas, the crime of identity theft is actually called the Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information, and this is located in Section 32.51 of the Texas Penal Code. A person commits identity theft when the person, with the intent to harm or defraud, obtains, possesses, or transfers, or uses identifying information of another person without the other person’s consent. Identity theft also applies with respect to the identifying information of deceased persons.
How is identifying information classified? All of the private, personal, and revealing information about you, such as:
- Social Security Number
- Name and Birth Date
- Credit or Debit Card
- Biometric Data—such as a person’s fingerprint, or retina image
- Checking Account number or routing number
