Farmingdale Arrest Leads to Identity Theft Probe

An investigation that began in Farmingdale involving two police agencies has led to the arrest of a Brooklyn man on multiple counts of identity theft, Suffolk County Police said.

Suffolk Police, working with police in the Town of Mamaroneck in Westchester, charged the man with possessing 20 drivers licenses from three different states and 289 Social Security numbers.

The investigation began May 1 when Mamaroneck detectives traced Emmanuel Egbunike, 43, to the Farmingdale area and arrested him on Broadhollow Road. Police initially charged Egbunike, of Brooklyn, with a count of grand larceny.

After transporting Egbunike’s vehicle to Mamaroneck, detectives obtained a search warrant and searched the vehicle. They recovered 10 New Jersey drivers licenses, nine Maryland drivers licenses and one Connecticut driver’s license, with Egbunike’s photo on each of them.

Detectives also recovered names, dates of birth and social security numbers of 289 individuals.

Mamaroneck authorities, having no jurisdiction relating to these charges, contacted the Suffolk County Police Identity Theft Unit for assistance, Suffolk Police said.

Following Egbunike’s release from the Westchester County jail Thursday, he was arrested by Suffolk County Identity Theft Unit detectives and transported back to Long Island.

Egbunike, of 8 Monument Walk, Brooklyn, was charged with five counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and unlawful possession of personal identification information.

Egbunike is being held overnight and will be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip. The investigation is continuing.