Man steals identity of sex offender
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 11:45 am
CLINTON, Conn. (Court TV) — Call it a case of mistaken identity theft.
Worried his four drunken driving arrests in Florida would prevent him from getting a Connecticut driver's license, James Perry assumed his neighbor's identity, police said.
Despite his apparent knowledge that the neighbor, Robert Kowalski, was "in some kind of trouble," Perry obtained the license as well as credit cards in Kowalski's name, according to police.
But when Perry got arrested for disorderly conduct and identified himself as Robert Kowalski, he learned just what kind of trouble surrounded his former neighbor. A routine police background check revealed Robert Kowalksi was a convicted sex offender in Michigan and not registered in Connecticut as required by state law, police said.
Perry then adamantly denied he was the convicted sex offender, even though all of his identification said he was Kowalski. Finally, an FBI fingerprint check cleared up the matter.
The real Robert Kowalski is jailed in Michigan, while Perry stands charged of criminal impersonation.
Worried his four drunken driving arrests in Florida would prevent him from getting a Connecticut driver's license, James Perry assumed his neighbor's identity, police said.
Despite his apparent knowledge that the neighbor, Robert Kowalski, was "in some kind of trouble," Perry obtained the license as well as credit cards in Kowalski's name, according to police.
But when Perry got arrested for disorderly conduct and identified himself as Robert Kowalski, he learned just what kind of trouble surrounded his former neighbor. A routine police background check revealed Robert Kowalksi was a convicted sex offender in Michigan and not registered in Connecticut as required by state law, police said.
Perry then adamantly denied he was the convicted sex offender, even though all of his identification said he was Kowalski. Finally, an FBI fingerprint check cleared up the matter.
The real Robert Kowalski is jailed in Michigan, while Perry stands charged of criminal impersonation.