Crime & Safety

Son Turns in Feasterville Dad for Identity Theft

A Lower Southampton man was turned into police by his son over identity theft charges.

A Lower Southampton man is facing identity theft charges following his son telling police that he was using a stolen identity to avoid legal problems in Virginia.

According to a PhillyBurbs report, Ronnie Lee Durham, 49 of Feasterville, is facing seven felonies, including five identity theft charges after police say they found multiple documents, including U.S. passports, a birth certificate, and driver’s licenses in the name and with the birth date of a Mississippi man.

Detective Eric Landamia told PhillyBurbs that Durham in order to escape civil legal problems in Virginia, including a divorce settlement and business-related lawsuits.

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About a week ago, Durham's 22-year-old son went to police with allegations that his father had stolen someone's name, which he used to obtain fraudulent forms of ID, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case.

According to PhillyBurbs, his son told police that Durham started calling himself Ronnie Lee Johnson and showed them two U.S. passports -- one was issued in January 2008 in Durham's name, birth date and place and a second one was issued in February 2008 in the name Ronnie Lee Johnson with Durham's birth date and place.

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His son also gave police a passport application that his father was allegedly in the process of filling out; two driver's licenses, one issued in Maryland and one in New Jersey; and a New Jersey identification card in the name of Ronnie P. Johnson, according to the affidavit. His son told police that these pieces of identification were out of his father's wallet.

Maryland and New Jersey officials confirmed the existence of the licenses and identification cards in the name of Ronnie Lee Johnson. Maryland also reported it had a driver’s license record in the name of Ronnie Lee Durham, according to PhillyBurbs.

The real Ronnie Paul Johnson, who lives in Mississippi, told police he did not give anyone permission to use his identity.

Police told PhillyBurbs that they found a birth certificate for Ronnie Paul Johnson, numerous tax, employment and insurance documents listing Ronnie Paul Johnson’s date of birth and Social Security number after obtaining a search warrant for Durham’s Sternermill Road home.

Durham was arraigned Wednesday on all third-degree felonies, which each carry a prison sentence of up to seven years. He was sent to Bucks County prison in lieu of $50,000/10 percent bail.


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