Deputy Frantz Felisma of Boynton Beach, Florida was arrested on December 23 for allegedly providing an identity thief with personal information in exchange for $10,000 a month. Felisma, 42, faces charges for conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and access of a computer in furtherance of a fraud. He was ordered held without bond.
According to the criminal complaint, Felisma was named by Kesner Joaseus of Wellington. Joaseus, 47, is an alleged identity thief who pleaded guilty to federal charges in two cases last year after a search warrant sweep of his home turned up personal information of identity theft victims that he reportedly used to fraudulently open bank accounts and lines of credit.
Joaseus purportedly told investigators that he got the personal information from Felisma in exchange for $10,000 a month during an 18-month period in 2013 and 2014. He would allegedly write the tag number, model, and make of luxury vehicles on a piece of paper and the deputy would run each tag to get the vehicle owner’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, and date of birth.
Felisma reportedly wrote the information on the same piece of paper Joaseus gave him. Investigators claim to have found 50 pieces of paper matching the description in the sweep of Joaseus’ home and several text messages sent by Joaseus to Felisma’s number.
Joaseus also allegedly told Homeland Security agents that the deputy would always meet him in his marked patrol car and would sometimes run tags for Joaseus from his car. To run the tags, Felisma had to have used his username and password to log into the Florida Criminal Information Center’s database. Investigators went through user records and reportedly found evidence that 16 of Joeseus’ victims had their tags run by Felisma.
Felisma has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the case. If convicted, he faces between seven and eight years in federal prison.