Former Air Force member gets 4 years for identity theft

A former U.S. Air Force member was sentenced to four years in prison this week for stealing and distributing personal information from other service members.

A federal jury found 28-year-old Ronnie Allen II guilty earlier this year of two counts each of of identity theft, aggravated identity theft and access device fraud, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly sentenced him to 48 months in prison Wednesday.

Allen, who lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, was enlisted in the Air Force and held a clerical position in the maintenance group at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, prosecutors said. Two weeks before his discharge on Jan. 31, 2013, he downloaded the “Alpha Roster,” a database of personal identifying information for more than 1,400 Air Force members assigned to the base.

Allen sent the roster from his work email account to his personal email account, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. He eventually sent the roster to Antorondi Benion of west suburban Bellwood, hoping to make money off of the information.

In the email to Benion, Allen wrote, “Man here is the whole list i trust u if u make money off of it u will pay me for the info,” according to prosecutors.

Benion used the identities in the roster to open financial accounts and take over existing accounts, prosecutors said. From April 2013 to January 2016, he opened at least 63 accounts in the names of 35 victims, resulting in losses totaling $163,389.

“Identity theft is a serious crime,” Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Jodrey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes wrote in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Allen betrayed his fellow service members and displayed an alarming indifference to the financial havoc they would experience.”

Benion pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, prosecutors said. He was sentenced on May 30 to 70 months in prison.