Carroll County Man Convicted in Identity Theft Scheme

July 28, 2009

Late this afternoon, a Howard County jury convicted a Carroll County man of identity theft to avoid prosecution, and driving on a revoked driver’s license. The jury found Gerald Thomas Titus, Jr., 38, of the 2200 block of Gillis Road in Woodbine, guilty of assuming the identity of a childhood friend to fraudulently obtain a driver’s license used in place of his Maryland driver’s license that had been revoked. The scheme began to unravel with a December 4, 2007 traffic stop on Interstate 70.

A Maryland State Trooper stopped Titus just west of the West Friendship weigh station because Titus failed to pull into the station to have his truck and trailer weighed and inspected. During the stop, Titus presented a Florida driver’s license identifying himself as Frederick John Karr. Titus was ordered to return to the weigh station where he was charged with a number of traffic and safety citations. On each citation he signed the name of Fred Karr.

According to Howard County Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Hammond, months after the traffic stop, a lieutenant in the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office contacted the trooper, alerting him that Frederick John Karr was actually Titus. Following the discovery of the identity discrepancy, an investigation was launched and Titus was subsequently charged. According to Hammond, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration records revealed that Titus had a number of driving under the influence convictions in Maryland, resulting in his driver’s license suspension and revocation.

Following one hour of deliberations, the jury returned its verdict of guilty on both counts. Titus is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2009.