Georgetown – Georgetown Police have arrested and charged two men with sixteen counts of identity theft, according to Public Information Officer Detective Joey Melvin.
Melvin said on October 9, 2018, Georgetown Police observed a vehicle, traveling southbound on Dupont Boulevard, commit a traffic violation in the area of County Seat Highway. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers said they noticed an odor of marijuana.
A search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in officers locating a laptop computer and 122 SIM cards, according to Melvin. Police are alleging that the occupants had cataloged personal information of numerous victims on the laptop. They are also alleging that the pair had the intent to activate the SIM cards on cell phones using the information.
Melvin said investigators also identified several local addresses where cell phones had been shipped for later retrieval by the pair.
Officials allege that the pair was planning to retrieve the cell phones, activate the SIM cards with stolen personal information, and then sell the phones via the internet, according to Melvin.
Investigators from Delaware Homeland Security are assisting in the ongoing investigation, added Melvin.
Allan Castillo, 28 and Andrea Villar-Martinez 31, both of the Dominican Republic, were arrested for 16 counts of Identity Theft, 16 counts of Conspiracy 2nd degree and possession of marijuana.
Castillo and Villar-Martinez were both arraigned and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in lieu of $64,500 cash bail.