Worthington man charged with identity theft
Apr. 1—LUVERNE — A Worthington man is charged in Rock County Fifth District Court with felony-level identity theft following a March 21 arrest in Luverne.
Rogelio Gonzalez-Velasquez, 45, faces up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine on the charge.
According to the law enforcement report, the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department in Elkhart County, Indiana, received a report from an individual on Feb. 26 that for several years he has had problems with his identity being stolen and used elsewhere. He said he received a letter indicating his license was going to expire because he could not have licenses in two states. The other license had a Worthington, Minnesota address.
The individual also reported he has had Social Security withholding issues and noted five employers he has never worked at, including Premium Minnesota Pork in Luverne.
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office confirmed through its investigation that an individual with a Worthington address was issued a license under the name of the reporting party. The Worthington Police Department was notified but officers were unable to locate him at the residence after multiple attempts.
A WPD detective passed the case to the Rock County Sheriff's Office as Gonzalez-Velasquez was reportedly working at Premium Minnesota Pork.
On March 21, a Rock County Sheriff's deputy spoke with a human resources representative from the pork processing facility in Luverne and learned that there was a person working there under the name of the reporting party in Indiana.
When the deputy arrived at Premium Minnesota Pork, he was met by HR in the parking lot. They said the individual sought by law enforcement was waiting in the lobby.
Gonzalez-Velasquez's height, weight and appearance reportedly matched the information from the Minnesota driver's license but it was under the name of the Indiana man. Gonzalez-Velasquez was arrested for identity theft. After being read his Miranda rights through the use of a language line, Gonzalez-Velasquez reportedly stated it was not his social security number or identity. He said he had to provide for his family and got the social security number from a friend on the street. He also said he never worked anywhere besides Premium Pork.
The deputy reportedly confirmed the Social Security number Gonzalez-Velasquez was using was a match to the number of the man in Indiana.
Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
