By Jeff Shields
Staff Writer

January 25, 2002

Federal investigators, alarmed at the expanding trail left by a postal
worker
they describe as "a master of identity theft," are looking into possible
fraud involving his day job with the Florida Department of Children and
Families.

Momodou Jarboh is not only accused of stealing credit cards, checks and
financial information from a Fort Lauderdale post office, where he worked
overnight sorting mail. Authorities are now concerned that the Jarboh's
alleged crime ring may have involved his state job -- in which he gathered
personal information to determine individual eligibility for food stamps and
other programs -- and his previous job with First Union Bank.

Items recovered from Jarboh following his arrest Saturday include 16 sheets
of financial information, apparently printed directly off a bank screen.
Also
found were nine stolen credit cards and three counterfeit driver's licenses,
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan said in federal court in Fort
Lauderdale on Thursday. Jarboh himself was carrying eight credit cards in
other people's names and ATM receipts from accounts in nine different names.

"He seems to be kind of a master of identity theft," Kaplan said. "This is
not just a simple case where someone takes a couple of pieces of mail. ...
This is a complex identity scheme where there are a lot of things going on,
and he seems to be at the top of the pyramid."

Jarboh, 33, of Miramar, was arrested Saturday morning during his overnight
shift as a temporary clerk working on a sorting machine. U.S. Postal
Inspector Gerald Kosakowski said he observed Jarboh stealing letters and
other items from the mail stream when no one was looking.

Kaplan said Jarboh, after he was arrested, began instructing people he knew,
including a government informant, to empty certain bank accounts and remove
evidence from his car. Evidence from various bank accounts indicated that
Jarboh had access to more than $350,000, Kaplan said.

Part of the alleged scheme involved stealing credit card checks -- the kind
offered by credit card companies to get customers to transfer balances or
obtain cash advances -- then depositing those into accounts set up under
other people's names.

Jarboh was ordered held without bail Thursday, despite defense attorney
Carlo
D'Angelo's argument that Jarboh had no criminal record. D'Angelo challenged
the government to prove that the items in Jarboh's car were his own.

Kaplan also said Jarboh had a receipt that showed he was trying to obtain a
cargo container -- the size of a railroad car -- to ship something to
Africa.
Jarboh, a native of Gambia, is now a U.S. citizen.

During the day, Jarboh works as a caseworker for the Economic
Self-Sufficiency Office of the Department of Children and Families in
Hollywood. Part of his job includes taking down clients' personal
information
to determine if they're eligible for public assistance, including Food
Stamps
and Medicaid, according to a job description provided by the state.

Jack Moss, district administrator for the Department of Children and
Families, said Jarboh's computer access and accounts have been frozen and
the
department will be checking for recent activity "that may not be
work-related." Moss said Jarboh's job status would be addressed in the next
few days.

Jarboh has worked for the post office since June 2001, Kosakowski said.

Jeff Shields can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 954-356-4531.

Copyright (c) 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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