Posted by AP on
Authorities say Alabama's new identity theft law was instrumental in securing the conviction of a Nigerian man who was living in California.
Authorities say Alabama's new identity theft law was instrumental in securing the conviction of a Nigerian man who was living in California.
Jefferson County Sheriff's spokesman, Sgt. Randy Christian, said the probe began in December 2002 when investigators in Alabama and California began looking into the activities of Zephyriuns Egbuonu.
He was accused of stealing the identity of a Jefferson County resident and using it in California. He already had been convicted of a similar offense in Los Angeles in October 2003 and was later extradited to Birmingham.
Egbuonu was found guilty of two counts of identity theft by a jury in Birmingham on May 26th.
Christian said the state's new law allows jurisdiction in Alabama for any Alabama citizen's identity that is stolen and used in another state.
Egbuonu will be sentenced in August. He also faces deportation back to Nigeria after he serves his Alabama sentence.
© 2005 AP