Identity Thief Attempts to Sell Information on 1500 People to Undercover Operative

Steven K. Gilmore, 27, of Nashville, Tennessee was recently arrested for the intent to commit identity theft.

This former child support worker at Policy Studies Inc., a contractor with the Tennessee Department of Human Services, was selling personal data, including names, Social Security numbers, and bank account information of over 1500 people he acquired through work. Fortunately, he sold some numbers to an undercover operative and was arrested for having and selling the stolen information.

“Public trust and confidence is severely undermined when attempts are made to steal and
profit from the sale of private identifying information entrusted to our public service agencies,”
United States Attorney Ed Yarbrough said. “State and federal law enforcement agencies recognize
the terrible expense and burden of identity theft and take very seriously such breaches of the public
trust. Together, we are determined to find and prosecute those who violate that trust.”

The investigation is still underway by the US Secret Service and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. As of this point, it appears as though the stolen names have been recovered, and the only names sold were those sold to the undercover operative though it is never a bad idea to purchase identity theft protection.