Kingston Police release details following conclusion of identity theft case

A Kingston man is facing six fraud-related charges following a case of identity theft and the fraudulent use of stolen items.

Kingston Police announced the arrest on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, noting that the case began when the victim lost his wallet and noticed some unusual activity on his accounts. Following up with Kingston Police for more detail, Kingstonist learned that the victim lost his wallet while out for the evening during the first week of July 2023. Shortly thereafter, the victim’s identification and bank cards were used in an attempt to take over the victim’s bank and cellphone accounts, according to police.

Approximately three weeks later, following their investigation, Kingston Police arrested the suspect in the case in the area of Gardiners and Bath Roads. In response to Kingstonist inquiries, Constable Ash Gutheinz, Media Relations Officer for Kingston Police, detailed that the suspect is alleged to have incurred approximately $7,700 in fraudulent charges using the victim’s identity and accounts. This included approximately $7,000 in defrauded funds, and a new cellphone obtained by the accused worth approximately $700. The accused man is known to police, and this is not the first time he has been charged with fraud-, theft-, or identity-theft-related charges.

“At the time of his arrest the accused also had government ID belonging to another victim of a similar theft,” police said.

As a result, the accused man, 54-year-old Keith Howland, was charged with:

• Possession of identity information
• Two counts of identity fraud
• Fraud over $5,000
• Fraud under $5,000
• Possession of property obtained by crime

“Residents of Kingston are reminded to immediately cancel missing or stolen credit cards and bank cards and to report lost or stolen ID. If anyone attempts to use your personal information, it should be reported to the police and the credit bureau,” Kingston Police said in a statement.