A case of identity theft appears to be present in Illinois. Vontae Davis, a N.F.L. first round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins, was apparently arrested in Champaign, Illinois on June 9, 2009 for driving without a valid driver's license and unnecessary vehicular noise. The arresting officer took Mr. Davis's license; the only problem was Vontae Davis was not in Champaign, Illinois. He was a thousand miles away in South Florida.
Eventually, this whole issue was cleared up when Davis acknowledged his wallet had been stolen in February while he was still at the University of Illinois. The Dolphins were able to clearly establish Davis's presence in the Miami area during the time that the imposter was being issued a summons. Davis left the facility at 3:30 p.m. on June 9, 2009 and returned at 7:00 a.m. on June 10, 2009, while the June 9, 2009 arrest was made at 6:40 p.m. in Illinois.
New Jersey Criminal Lawyer Blog's Take: This story emphasizes the other side of identity theft. The media always discusses how one can take your financial information, but the less publicized version creates just as many headaches. If your identification is stolen, you should report it stolen immediately to your local police department. While, the chance that the police will recover your stolen items is slim, the police report can at least serve as a notice that you no longer have your identification. Thus, if one was found in a similar situation as Vontae Davis, there could at least be some proof that the wallet was stolen. It would go a long way in proving you were not the person the authorities had targeted, especially considering that most people don't have high profile N.F.L. jobs where numerous people can easily corroborate one's whereabouts.
