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Escambia School Superintendent Candidate Arrested For Fraud, Identity Theft
October 8, 2015
An investigation by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the Tallahassee Police Department resulted in recent identity theft charges against Gerald Howard Washington of Escambia County. Washington pre-filed in September to run for Escambia County School District superintendent in 2016.
Washington, 19, was charged with one count of criminal use of personal identification information (20 or more), a first degree felony, and one count of organized communications fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, after stealing personal information from multiple job seekers in Tallahassee.
The investigation showed that Washington posted online advertisements claiming to be hiring for 1,100 positions in Tallahassee. He traveled by Greyhound Bus from Pensacola to Tallahassee, set up a temporary office, and personally met with many job seekers who believed he was a valid employer with actual job openings.
The job seekers provided personal information, including social security numbers and bank information, for the application. They also provided urine samples and a $25 fee. The individuals were told they were hired and given a start date, but the jobs did not exist.
“Mr. Washington used the hope of would-be job seekers against them. His victims were Tallahassee citizens seeking to better themselves and their families. Those who seek to commit fraud in Tallahassee will be investigated and prosecuted for their actions,” Tallahassee Police Department Chief Michael DeLeo said.
Comments
14 Responses to “Escambia School Superintendent Candidate Arrested For Fraud, Identity Theft”
See, we could save a few steps with this one, we don’t have to wait on the system to turn him into a crook, he’s already one. He’s got my vote
see if I vote for him !
At Wiggins: I take offense to your statement. I have donkeys that are much smarter than that. ……
He was only trying to get some political experience under his belt before the election.
Does anybody recognize him from a local convenience store?
Good grief! According to his Facebook posts, among the many other sensitive places of employment, he worked as a bank teller at a local credit union- not good.
Originally the Social Security cards had printed on them ”for Social Security and tax purposes — not for identification.” As I understand it, this was partly out of concerns fro privacy. Over the years, however, Congress, in its infinite wisdom, has changed the laws to allow a Social Security number to be REQUIRED as proof of identification. This is yet another example of why Congress is really a bunch of . . . I’ll just say, “ignorant donkeys.” You can figure it out from there.
What a shame for the individuals trying to seek employment.
Wow say hello to your new Councilman florida
The first thing you say when arrested for identity fraud, “It wasn’t me.”
Someone forget to tell this individual to start being a criminal after winning the election—not that he had a chance to win.
Typical politician! He should run for Congress.
Feeling bad for those who had job hopes dashed by this character.
Hope that he was unsuccessful at selling or using the stolen identities.
Wishing he gets the full measure of the law and spends time getting an education at the Gray Bar Univ.
All of this makes him qualified to run for office.