Elkridge Man Indicted For Identify Theft

A Prince George’s County grand jury has indicted an Elkridge man for multiple thefts in a credit card skimming scheme that began in a Laurel , according to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.

Brian Keith Adams, 21, of Elkridge was indicted on 16 counts of identify theft, theft and conspiracy to commit theft.

According to a news release, Adams is accused of taking credit card information from dozens of patrons, including two U.S. Secret Service agents, at the T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in Laurel where he worked as a server.

Two Secret Service employees had lunch at the restaurant and shortly thereafter realized that there were unauthorized charges on their respective credit cards, according to a news release. They began to investigate with the help of the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Adams has eluded police, according to The Gazette. Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Office of the State’s Attorney, told the paper that police and the Secret Service were tracking him. Each count of identity theft carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, along with fines exceeding $25,000.

From December 2009 to April 2010, investigators believe that Adams skimmed information from 73 credit cards. More than $42,000 in unauthorized charges were later put on those credit cards by other people, according to the news release.

According to the release, patrons would pay for their meals with a credit card and Adams allegedly ran their credit cards through a hand-held device that saved the credit card information. He then allegedly passed on the credit card information to others who used the information to make unauthorized purchases.

“Economic crimes take a negative toll on our community, just as violent crimes do,” said Alsobrooks in a statement. “We simply will not tolerate people who take financial advantage of others.”