Court Will Decide Identity Theft Case

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether people picked up on immigration violations also can face charges of identity theft if they use Social Security and other identification numbers that happen to belong to others.

Federal prosecutors have increasingly been bringing the more serious identity theft charges against undocumented immigrants, including many who were arrested in raids on meatpacking plants.

Federal appeals courts have split over whether the defendant must know that the phony ID numbers belong to a real person and, on Monday, the court said it will resolve the question.

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