KINGSTON, Pa. — A man from Kingston who pleaded guilty to using stolen identities to get COVID relief money will spend time in prison.
Robert Brownstein, 52, of Kingston, was sentenced Friday to 36 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft offenses.
Prosecutors said Brownstein and his co-conspirators used stolen identities to create fake identification documents and credit and debit cards. They then used the fake IDs to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise.
They also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans, getting over $100,000 in pandemic stimulus funds.
Brownstein's co-conspirator, Reynard Lewis, 30, formerly of Nanticoke, was previously convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses and sentenced to serve 42 months in prison. They were ordered to pay $111,579.92 in restitution to the victims of their crimes.
