Penalties In Wyoming For An Identity Theft Conviction

The state of Wyoming has a specific definition for identity theft crimes and has laid out specific identity theft penalties for those who are found guilty of the crime. The Wyoming state statutes define identity theft as an individual that obtains on his or her own will, any information of a personal nature that is essential to discerning the identity of another person and who uses any part of that information with the intention of any purpose deemed unlawful. These unlawful purposes typically are defined as the obtaining of credit, any services, medical treatment or assistance, or purchasing any sort of property without consent being given by the individual whose information was used.

The Wyoming Definition of Personal Information

In Wyoming, the term personal information is applied to any sort of documentation or certificate containing any information that may be used to physically or literally identify an individual. This includes terms such as a driver’s license or any other form of information that may include the person’s full name, physical address of residence, photograph, or state prescribed identification number. Identifying information may also include, but is not limited to: 

• Another individual’s SSN (Social Security Number)
• The employee or employer number for another individual’s place of employment
• Any information that is relevant to an individual’s tribal ID card or ID card number
• Any number assigned to person’s financial accounts (savings, checking, etc.)
• Any credit card or credit information pertaining to another individual
• Any information used to identify another person biometrically (fingerprints, etc.)

Wyoming Identity Theft Penalties

In the state of Wyoming, an individual can be charged with a misdemeanor and sentenced to up to 6 months imprisonment and a $750 fine for simply possessing any of these forms of identification for another person without the direct consent of the person. If the defendant is arrested and is found to be in possession of more than 5 different individual’s  personal information, he or she can be charged with a felony for trafficking information with the intent to defraud, and sentenced to anywhere between 2 and 10 years in prison. 

If the offender is found to have collected or attempted to collect any more than $1,000 in any form of gain, or if he has caused the victim to incur $1000 or more of cost in any way, he or she can be charged with felony identity theft and sentenced to prison for a term of 2 to 10 years and a citation of up to $10,000. 

If the gain or attempted gain is found to be under $1,000, the offender will be charged in court with a misdemeanor and can be sentenced to 6 months in jail and a $750 fine. 

In addition, all defendants found guilty of identity theft may be required to pay the victim full restitution for any proven loss.

Getting Help

If you have been accused of the crime of identity theft in Wyoming, it is important for you to get help. A qualified defense attorney can explain your options to you in regards to dealing with the charges, including a plea bargain or a court defense that may be used to minimize penalties or prove innocence.