Rhode Island man sentenced to prison after scheme using stolen identities to make purchases throughout New England

PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man has been sentenced to federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to create fraudulent drivers’ licenses and credit cards he and others used to rent cars and hotel rooms and to make multiple purchases throughout New England, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Hugh A. Martin, 33, of Pawtucket, and two other men were arrested by Warwick Police in the early morning hours of July 3, 2020, when they were found sleeping in a vehicle with a stolen license plate. A bundle of eleven counterfeit credit cards were found tucked inside Martin’s sock.

According to court documents, among the items recovered from the vehicle were eighteen mobile phones, a notebook containing handwritten entries of numerous identities and related personal identifying information, computers, a printer, SD cards, a laminating machine, a magnetic strip reader capable of reading and transferring data to the back of credit cards, and approximately $13,000 in crisp, clean U.S. currency in large denominations.

Martin pleaded guilty on March 9, 2022, to conspiracy to possess fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices; possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices; and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on Thursday to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

In November 2021, while on bail on state charges brought as a result of his initial arrest by Warwick Police in July 2021, Martin was found by a New York City Police Officer seated in a parked vehicle that displayed no registration plates. Martin was charged with criminal possession of a handgun, after the officer located a fully loaded semiautomatic handgun under the driver’s seat. A detainer has been lodged with the U.S. Marshals service, seeking Martin’s return to New York for prosecution on the firearm charge.

Courtney Hilaire, 29, of Providence, convicted for his role in the credit card fraud conspiracy and for fraudulently seeking more than $3.3 million dollars in small business loans earmarked for businesses impacted by the pandemic, was sentenced on May 5, 2022, to 60 months in federal prison.

A third defendant remains a fugitive.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland. Martin’s criminal conduct was investigated by the Warwick Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Pawtucket Police Department.