Posted on: Tuesday, April 29, 2003

'Ewa Beach man jailed for identity theft, fraud

Advertiser Staff

Federal Judge Susan Mollway yesterday handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence to an 'Ewa Beach man who charged more than $116,000 of goods and services to people whose identities he had stolen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong, who handled the case, said Craig Aoki, 32, pleaded guilty Jan. 16 to charges of credit card fraud, identity theft and misuse of a Social Security number.

Tong told Mollway that when Secret Service agents searched Aoki's home, they found evidence that indicated Aoki could have stolen the identities of an additional 300 people or more.

Aoki primarily used credit cards and driver's licenses obtained during car break-ins, and bank customer records, which his wife took without authorization from her job at American Savings Bank, to steal the identity of others, Tong said.

Aoki's wife was fired from her bank job and no charges have been brought against her, Tong said.