Coventry, West Warwick Men Plead Guilty in Identity Theft Scheme

Randolph Hurst, 50, of West Warwick, a former Assistant District Manager for the Social Security Administration in Rhode Island, recently pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to stealing the identity of a Coventry man and using it to fraudulently sell more than $160,000 worth of stock certificates belonging to the victim. Hurst also pled guilty to failing to pay $61,999 in taxes owed to the IRS.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith on Oct. 9, Hurst pled guilty to one count each of aggravated identity theft, transportation of stolen securities and tax evasion; two counts of mail fraud; and three counts of filing a false tax return. Hurst faces up to 45 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1.4 million dollars when he is sentenced on Jan. 10, 2014.

A co-defendant in this matter, Justin Silveira, 29, of Coventry, also pled guilty on Oct. 9, to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Silveira admitted to the court that he lied to a grand jury which was investigating this matter. At sentencing on Jan., 10, 2014, Silveira faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $750,000. 

At the time of his guilty plea, Hurst admitted to the court that in September 2010 he stole personal identifying information belonging to the victim and used it to open a joint account at Summit Brokerage Services in Providence in his name and in the name of the victim, without his permission. Hurst admitted that two days after opening the account he provided documentation to Summit purportedly authored and signed by the victim, requesting the deposit of two stock certificates owned by the victim. The victim never authorized the deposit of the stock certificates and was unaware that an account had been opened in his name.

Hurst admitted to the court that in October 2010, without the victim’s knowledge, he requested that Summit sell the stocks and issue a check in his name and in the victim’s name for $157,747.49, which represented a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the stocks. The check was sent by courier to the Coventry address of Justin Silveira. On Oct. 22, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife. Hurst admitted to the court that on the same date the check was deposited he requested a second check from Summit in the amount of $3,980.46, in his name and in the victim’s name, for the remaining proceeds from the sale of the stock, and that it be sent to the same address in Coventry. On Nov. 8, 2010, the check was deposited into a bank account owned jointly by Hurst and his wife.

Hurst admitted to the court that he and his wife spent the proceeds of the sale of the stock, $161,727.95, on personal items and expenses.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.