-Caveat Lector-
>From http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,53%257E537244,00.html
}}}>Begin
Birth, death certificates stolen
2,306 blanks could be used to forge identities
By Dan Luzadder
Special to The Denver Post
Friday, April 19, 2002 - Special to the Denver Post
More than 2,000 state-certified birth and death certificates - blank documents that
would allow criminals or others to create new identities - were stolen from Denver's
vital-records office last week.
The thefts prompted police to issue a nationwide alert, specifically warning more than
4,500 U.S. passport agents who rely on such documents to verify citizenship and
identity.
"This could well result in some delays when people from Colorado apply for a
passport, or some other documents," Colorado State Registrar Ron Hyman said. He
said he was notified of the thefts last week, and took immediate steps to heighten
security for such forms in similar offices around the state.
"This is a very rare occurrence," Hyman said. "Some other states have experienced
problems, but it's rare here because we try to keep such a close tab on this stuff."
Police declined to release details, including whether the documents were in a locked
safe or other secured area in the office at 600 Bannock St.
"There are no obvious suspects," said Detective John White, a spokesman for the
Denver Police Department. There were no signs of forced entry, he said.
Issues of false identification have been a focus of U.S. security measures since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Hijackers used phony birth certificates to obtain
legitimate
documents under false names.
A report to Congress by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - based
on investigations by the General Accounting Office and U.S. intelligence agencies -
said that 90 percent to 100 percent of federal fugitives and drug traffickers also
routinely use legitimate state identity documents obtained under a phony name.
Authorities say fraudulent birth certificates, most of them forged, are the "breeder
documents" with which criminals and terrorists can obtain photo-identification
documents such as state driver's licenses, Social Security cards and passports.
The HHS report, released before the terrorist attacks, said that once a valid passport
has been issued with a phony birth certificate, "it is almost impossible to detect."
Denver police Detective John Costigan III said the document theft occurred between
5 p.m. April 9, when the office closed, and 9 a.m. the next morning. A supervisor
discovered the documents missing and called police and state officials.
While authorities are not giving details, an Internet bulletin issued Wednesday to
members of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners identified the serial
numbers on the documents as 1851001 to 1853000 for the 2,000 missing birth
certificates. The numbers on the 306 death certificates were 309695 to 310000. Also
taken in the theft was an "electronic" seal for the city and county of Denver.
The letter-size blank birth-certificate forms are preprinted with Hyman's signature.
The death certificates carry a signature from Dr. Franklin Judson as local registrar.
The forms are printed by American Bank Notes with special threads, light-sensitive
inks and watermarks. Only the serial numbers can identify the forms as fraudulent
once they are filled out.
"With the ability to easily create a birth certificate like this, they have the
foundation
document to establish a whole new identity," Hyman said. "Or with these death
certificates, someone could close the books on one identity, and move to another."
Denver police declined to speculate on the "street value" of the state forms. But an
investigation after Sept. 11 by the Bergen Record newspaper on New Jersey's black
market in false-identity papers said that even poorly counterfeited birth certificates
were selling for $150 to $300 each on the street. That means the Denver documents
could be worth anywhere from $350,000 to $700,000.
Printable View
Email a Copy of this Article
Return to top
End<{{{
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forwarded as information only; no automatic endorsement
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not
believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men.
Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all.
Then accept it and live up to it."
The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutta
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
teach you to keep your mouth shut."
--- Ernest Hemingway
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
