Las Vegas teen testifies about difficulties stemming from stolen identity

By Cy Ryan

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 | 11:38 a.m.

CARSON CITY – An 18-year-old Las Vegas man told a state Assembly committee today he was the victim of identity theft, and that has prevented him from enlisting in the military and getting a job at casinos.

Carlos Hernandez testified that somebody who had his Social Security number ran up thousands of dollars in debt and the person has a domestic violence conviction that has been on his record.

“I’ve been trying to clean up my record,” Hernandez told the Assembly Judiciary Committee in support of Assembly Bill 83, which would make it easier to prosecute people who steal the identity of children.

Hernandez said the person who stole his identity began to run up bills when he was 9 years old. In high school, Hernandez said he was in the ROTC, but couldn't enlist in the military because of the false criminal conviction on his record.

AB 83, sponsored by Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, would permit a criminal charge to be filed up to four years after an offense is discovered in the case of a victim who is less than 18 years old. The current statute of limitation is the criminal charge must be filed within three years.

In Hernandez’s case, his Social Security number was stolen when he was 9 and the bills started accumulating, but he didn’t know about it until he turned 18 last year.

Sgt. Anthony Aguillard of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said another Las Vegas woman was scheduled to testify but medical reasons prevented her from appearing. He said she was arrested and spent time in jail on a car theft crime because her Social Security number was stolen.

He said Social Security numbers can be obtained through searches on the Internet, purchased at a swap meet or through the black market for anywhere from $100 to $1,000.

He said parents should be careful in giving out the Social Security numbers of their children.

There was no opposition to the bill and support came from Terry Johnson, director of the state Department of Business and Industry, who testified that Nevada topped the nation in identity theft.

The committee didn't take action but a vote is expected at its next session.