Dexter Evans life has been a nightmare for the last 12 years...He's been denied the American dream he worked so hard to try and achieve.
Evans says, "I feel totally betrayed by the system we have all of these computers if you have a, B, and c in place how do you miss it."
Here's what Evans and Harris County investigators say the system missed - this man: 36 year old Edgar Linares. According to the sheriff's office Linares somehow obtained Evans social security number back in 2001 and created his own American dream.
"Next thing I know I get letters in my P.O. box from Capital One saying I owe $4000 and $6000 and I call Conn's I have one account he's got 8 accounts," says Evans.
And that's not the kicker - Evans also learned Linares purchased this house in Harris County back in 2001 now valued at $120,000. Investigators say that house was purchased under Linares' name but using Evans social security number.
Lt. Jeff Stauber says, "the gentleman admitted the fact that he used this number the social security number that wasn't his he knew it wasn't his that it didn't belong to him yet he still used it."
Investigators believe Linares arrived in America illegally and because he had no social security number he used Evans...Lt. Stuber says this is not unusual especially in a city that attracts undocumented workers who tend to stay and make Houston home.
Stauber says, "we get so many identity thefts and people using social security numbers that don't have their own to get jobs."
In Linares' case to get over $10,0000 in credit and a home...Evans who was denied a checking account because Linares already had one at a local bank wants to know how a complicated financial system in American could allow this to happen.
Lt. Stuber says it happened at a time when mortgage fraud was rampid in America and Harris County...Lenders were just rubber stamping approval letters and he believes that's how Linares was able to get a home loan from Wells Fargo Bank with no questions asked.
"In essence the loan was obtained under false pretenses so it's not a good loan," says Stauber.
But for now Linares and his family remains in the Harris County home...That's after he was booked and charged with false statement to obtain credit...As for Evans he lives in an apartment and drives a beat up truck because he says his credit has been high jacked.
"In his case like I said he done did everything fraudulent and created a new life for yourself and your family which is destroying another family," says Evans.
Evans also says he's looking for help from attorney to help him clean up his credit and name.
Read more: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/22135635/2013/05/01/decade-long-identity-theft-scam#ixzz2S5kqus85
