Grand jury indicts two in fraud, identity theft

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A federal grand jury yesterday indicted two people on charges of conspiring to steal the identities of seven people and using those identities to write checks and make credit card purchases valued at more than $153,000.

Jennifer La Putt and Frederick Borja were charged with 22 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, access device fraud, identification document fraud and counterfeited securities.

According to the federal indictment, La Putt and Borja obtained the names and personal information of others and manufactured false identification documents.

La Putt and Borja opened bank accounts, obtained credit cards and printed counterfeit checks, which they cashed using the false identification. La Putt and Borja also rented mailboxes under the assumed names to "further and conceal" their actions, the indictment said.

The indictment says the checks were printed by the two after they obtained account numbers of people with legitimate checking accounts at local banks. The two wrote nearly 200 checks worth more than $130,000 to themselves.

On June 26, the indictment says, La Putt and Borja used a fake Hawai'i driver's license and Social Security number to secure a $16,339 bank loan to purchase a Honda Civic.

But the two didn't target only individuals, the indictment said, and also wrote checks on the account of the Pagoda Hotel.

Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.