COLUMBUS (WCMH) – The Franklin County Grand Jury has returned a 33-count RICO indictment against four suspects on charges that include theft, identity fraud, and breaking and entering.
A press release from the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s office says that Jonathan Charles Knapp, 35, and Justin Lee Goins, 26, stole information out of storage units at two separate storage locations and then opened credit cards in the stolen individuals' names. The indictment also names Frank M. Abrams II, 47, and Gary Ronald Smith Jr., 39, for one count each of fraud and theft.
According to the release, Knapp and Goins rented out storage units at Simply Self-Storage and Westerville Mini Storage and, once inside, began breaking in to other storage units.
The release says that the two men not only obtained thousands of patient files from a local dentist office, they also obtained hundreds of documents from a company that prepared taxes and restored credit.
The information obtained was then used to open credit cards and lines of credit under the stolen names.
The release also alleges that a vehicle was stolen from a local Ford dealership by one of the suspects using an illegally-obtained drivers license.
Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O’Brien lauded several police departments and organizations responsible for their roles in the investigation.
The indictment says that Knapp has received seven counts of identity fraud, seven counts of identity fraud against a person in a protected class, two counts of breaking and entering and grand theft, five counts of theft, and one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Justin Lee Goins received three counts of identity fraud and theft, and one count of grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.