By Jeff Shields Staff Writer January 25, 2002 Federal investigators, alarmed at the expanding trail left by a postal worker they describe as "a master of identity theft," are looking into possible fraud involving his day job with the Florida Department of Children and Families. Momodou Jarboh is not only accused of stealing credit cards, checks and financial information from a Fort Lauderdale post office, where he worked overnight sorting mail. Authorities are now concerned that the Jarboh's alleged crime ring may have involved his state job -- in which he gathered personal information to determine individual eligibility for food stamps and other programs -- and his previous job with First Union Bank. Items recovered from Jarboh following his arrest Saturday include 16 sheets of financial information, apparently printed directly off a bank screen. Also found were nine stolen credit cards and three counterfeit driver's licenses, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kaplan said in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Jarboh himself was carrying eight credit cards in other people's names and ATM receipts from accounts in nine different names. "He seems to be kind of a master of identity theft," Kaplan said. "This is not just a simple case where someone takes a couple of pieces of mail. ... This is a complex identity scheme where there are a lot of things going on, and he seems to be at the top of the pyramid." Jarboh, 33, of Miramar, was arrested Saturday morning during his overnight shift as a temporary clerk working on a sorting machine. U.S. Postal Inspector Gerald Kosakowski said he observed Jarboh stealing letters and other items from the mail stream when no one was looking. Kaplan said Jarboh, after he was arrested, began instructing people he knew, including a government informant, to empty certain bank accounts and remove evidence from his car. Evidence from various bank accounts indicated that Jarboh had access to more than $350,000, Kaplan said. Part of the alleged scheme involved stealing credit card checks -- the kind offered by credit card companies to get customers to transfer balances or obtain cash advances -- then depositing those into accounts set up under other people's names. Jarboh was ordered held without bail Thursday, despite defense attorney Carlo D'Angelo's argument that Jarboh had no criminal record. D'Angelo challenged the government to prove that the items in Jarboh's car were his own. Kaplan also said Jarboh had a receipt that showed he was trying to obtain a cargo container -- the size of a railroad car -- to ship something to Africa. Jarboh, a native of Gambia, is now a U.S. citizen. During the day, Jarboh works as a caseworker for the Economic Self-Sufficiency Office of the Department of Children and Families in Hollywood. Part of his job includes taking down clients' personal information to determine if they're eligible for public assistance, including Food Stamps and Medicaid, according to a job description provided by the state. Jack Moss, district administrator for the Department of Children and Families, said Jarboh's computer access and accounts have been frozen and the department will be checking for recent activity "that may not be work-related." Moss said Jarboh's job status would be addressed in the next few days. Jarboh has worked for the post office since June 2001, Kosakowski said. Jeff Shields can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 954-356-4531. Copyright (c) 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Visit Sun-Sentinel.com <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>