Myrtle Beach Identity Thief Gets 7 Years

United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated that Abdurrahman Cetin, age 43, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced in federal court for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Cetin to 84 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years on supervised release. Cetin was also ordered to pay $40,246.53 in restitution.

Evidence presented at trial established that Cetin collected the personal and financial information of customers of a Toyota dealer in Long Island, New York, while working there as a salesman in 1999. Cetin saved the information and when he moved to Myrtle Beach, he used the information to open five bank accounts and obtain lines of credit at two Myrtle Beach banks. When opening the accounts, Cetin supplied other people’s names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. Cetin then withdrew money on the lines of credit he had established. Cetin was arrested at one of the banks and a search of his residence turned up six drivers licenses with Cetin’s picture on them but in other people’s names, and 37 credit cards which had been issued matching the names on the counterfeit drivers licenses. Other individuals’ credit reports and a computer used by Cetin to order counterfeit drivers licenses were also found.

The case was investigated by the Myrtle Beach Police Department and agents of the United State Secret Service Administration. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, Il, of the Florence office handled the case.