West Warwick, Coventry Men Indicted on Identity Theft and Perjury Charges, Among Others

Randolph Hurst, 49, of West Warwick, a former Assistant District Manager for the Social Security Administration in Warwick, arrested and indicted on Friday for allegedly stealing the identity of a Coventry man and fraudulently sell more than $160,000 worth of stock certificates belonging to the victim.

The indictment charges Hurst with two counts of mail fraud; one count each of aggravated identity theft, transportation of stolen securities, money laundering, and tax evasion; and three counts of filing false tax returns. 

A report from the U.S. District Attorney's office states that Hurst and his wife used the proceeds on the sale of the stock for expenses and personal items.

Hurst was arrested Friday morning by federal agents and appeared in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bond.

Justin Silviera, 28, of Coventry, a relative of Hurst, is charged in the indictment with two counts of perjury for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury during the investigation of Hurst's crimes. He will appear in court at a later date.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan. The matter was investigated by federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.