U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd has sent a loud message to a 47-year-old Clovis man that identity theft doesn’t pay.
Drozd sentenced Johnny Kajitani Jr. to two years and 10 months for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced in a news release Tuesday. The judge also ordered Kajitani to pay almost $44,000 in restitution to his victims.
Obtained $30K Auto Loan, $7K Credit Card
According to court documents, Kajitani obtained the social security number of an individual without her knowledge. In October 2012, he used that social security number to apply for membership with a local credit union.
Kajitani then used the social security number to apply for and obtain from the credit union a $30,000 vehicle loan and a credit card with a $7,500 limit. The credit union suffered more than $30,000 in losses as a result of Kajitani’s fraud.
Kajitani Pulled a Second Fraud in 2014
In 2014, Kajitani obtained the identity information of someone else. He subsequently opened four credit cards using that social security number without the consent of the victim. After Kajitani defaulted on these credit cards, four different banks suffered a combined loss of almost $30,000.
The FBI investigated and obtained the evidence against Kajitani. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers prosecuted the case.
