A New York man admitted in a Pensacola federal courtroom on Monday that he played a key role in a cross-country identity fraud scheme built around high-end phones and wireless services, prosecutors say.
Dustin Lemmon Carpio, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, possession of more than 15 counterfeit and unauthorized access devices, use of a false passport and aggravated identity theft. Federal prosecutors say the plea leaves him facing substantial prison time. He is scheduled to return to federal court in Pensacola for sentencing on Sept. 3.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
According to prosecutors, Carpio worked with co-defendants who supplied him with personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and account numbers. Using that data, he obtained or tried to obtain thousands of dollars in phones, accessories and wireless services at national wireless-store locations, court officials say.
Authorities say the scheme came to a halt in March 2024, when Carpio was arrested in Okaloosa County while attempting to carry out one of those transactions with a counterfeit U.S. passport card. As outlined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, Carpio agreed in his plea to forfeit any forfeitable assets and to pay restitution.
U.S. attorney: victims are harmed
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said the case is a reminder that identity fraud is more than a paperwork crime.
“The theft and exploitation of personal identifying information by fraudsters can have a devastating effect on the innocent victims whose finances are imperiled by scammers,” Heekin said in a statement, noting that the prosecution received support from the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The plea and related details were announced in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
Local records show state arrest and docket
Local court records show that Carpio was arrested on March 7, 2024, in Okaloosa County and charged in state court with fraud and related offenses. Those dockets indicate he later entered nolo contendere pleas on state counts in May 2026, according to the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts. The local filings detail the March arrest and the county case tied to those state charges.
What Carpio faces under federal law
Carpio’s federal plea exposes him to significant statutory penalties. Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and offenses involving the possession or use of counterfeit or unauthorized access devices can carry up to 10 years under 18 U.S.C. § 1029. Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two-year prison term that must run consecutively to any other sentence, according to guidance on 18 U.S.C. § 1028A from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
If you think your information was used
Prosecutors say Carpio had personal identifying information for more than 80 people. If you suspect your identity or accounts may have been misused, you can start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and consider filing a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
Federal consumer guidance also recommends placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus, reviewing bank and credit card statements, and contacting your wireless carrier and financial institutions to report any suspicious or unauthorized charges.
