Con-man stole ID of his jailbird brother, went on spending spree

LEXINGTON PARK (Jan. 22, 2009) --- Just how good a credit report can a prison inmate have? 

Police in Leonardtown say that it must have been good enough as Capt. Terry Black of the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department reports that on January 6, 2010 detectives initiated an investigation regarding allegations of Fraud and Identity Theft. 

The cops say that their investigation revealed Dennis A. Gingles, age 43, of Lexington Park, Md. had obtained various credit cards, a cell phone, a Maryland Drivers License and purchased a motor vehicle utilizing the identity of his brother who is currently incarcerated in the Division of Corrections. 

Gingles had also altered his physical appearance to have the same physical features as his brother. 

Gingles was arrested and charged with 3 counts of Applying for Credit Card under False Identification, Unlawfully use Signature of Another, Fraud per Identity Information Theft.  Gingles was incarcerated in the St. Mary’s County Detention Center pending a bond hearing before the District Court Commissioner. 

Gingles was arrested in 2005 by Dep. Eric Walker and charged with multiple counts of forgery, counterfeiting documents and theft.  Those charges were all dropped by St. Mary's States Attorney Richard Fritz.

Charges for assaulting a correctional officer in 2007 were also dropped by Fritz.  Various other charges of possession of drugs with intent to distribute, speeding at over 100 mph and other performances worthy of an old B movie have been part of the legal landscape in Gingles' past.

On March 5, 2008, Gingles was found guilty of identity theft and given five years in prison, and this being Maryland, five years doesn't actually mean five years unless of course, one commits murder, then five years might be okay.

Maybe he will meet up with his brother for a family reunion in the big house.  They will be able to talk about the indignity of having one's identity stolen in order to buy a car.  There is no word from the cops if the car in question will be parked outside the prison.