Investigations

On April 2, 2009, Atif Tate of Bladensburg, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, in U.S. District Court, Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Tate was then sentenced to two years’ imprisonment followed by one year period of supervised release and was ordered to pay $4,300 in restitution. The charges against Mr. Tate result from his involvement in an elaborate identity theft scheme in which over $100,000 in U.S. Treasury checks was stolen from the U.S. Postal Service. From May 2006 until May 2007, Mr. Tate cashed these stolen Treasury checks using fake Maryland Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). He was among thirteen individuals indicted in this scheme, most of whom have also pled guilty to similar charges. Mr. Tate is the first to be sentenced. This case was initiated after receiving a referral from the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles, Homeland Security Supervisor. The investigation identified multiple individuals who obtained counterfeit CDLs and regular driver’s licenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office subsequently described these ongoing efforts as one of the largest identity theft indictments in the State of Maryland. This DOT/OIG investigation continues and is being worked jointly with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service; and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.