Identity theft victim spends weeks in jail

Posted by Caitlin on October 12th, 2009

Some identity theft victims are never able to completely repair the damage to their credit. Some victims are declined mortgages or student loans. Some victims suffer monetary losses. Nearly all victims have to devote a great deal of time and effort to the restoration of their identities. But only a few victims suffer the worst consequence of identity theft: jail, due to mistaken identity.

Joe Salazar of Omaha is one such identity theft victim.

Several years ago, Joe left his wallet in a restaurant. When he went back to retrieve it, it was gone. About a year later, police arrested a man for cocaine possession, and that man gave police Salazar's identification, date of birth, and Social Security number, and pleaded no contest to possession of cocaine. When this unknown man failed to appear for sentencing, a warrant was issued for Joe Salazar's arrest. On December 24, 2008, Joe Salazar was pulled over for speeding, and the officer discovered the warrant in his name. Joe explained that it was a case of mistaken identity, and his fingerprints confirmed that he was not the same man who had been arrested for cocaine possession. Nevertheless, Joe Salazar spent Christmas Eve in prison. He also spend Christmas in prison. And New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. He was finally released on January 7, 2009. A judge renewed the warrant and added a note: "Please re-verify identification of Joe Salazar due to mistaken arrests."

Last week, Joe Salazar's home was burglarized. When the police arrived to file a report, you guessed it, Joe was arrested once again. This time, Joe was released after just one day in jail.

There are many procedures in place, including fingerprinting and mug shots, that should have spared Joe from spending time in prison. But they haven't helped so far, and since the warrant still hasn't been dropped, there's no guarantee that Joe won't be arrested again.

While most identity theft victims don't spend their holidays in prison, once a criminal has your personal information, there's nothing preventing him or her from using it in a pinch, to avoid going to prison him or herself. To avoid suffering any of the many possible consequences of identity theft, consider investing in an identity theft protection service, which will provide numerous layers of defense.

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