MAYS LANDING – An Atlantic County jury convicted a 46-year-old Atlantic City man for obtaining a driver’s license using his former roommate’s identity, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said Monday, June 9.

On March 31, 2004, Edwin Patillo applied for a duplicate driver’s license under the name Leon Hopewell at the Cardiff Motor Vehicle Commission in Egg Harbor Township. In addition to the photograph taken as part of the application process, Patillo submitted a birth certificate, social security card and an ATM bank card, also under Hopewell’s name, said Assistant Prosecutor Curt Baker, who handled the state’s case.

Baker said the identity theft was discovered when Hopewell, who is 48, went to get his license renewed at the end of July 2006, and Patillo’s photograph was under Hopewell’s license. An investigation was conducted by the MVC and the Prosecutor’s Office.

After a four-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberations Monday, the jury convicted Patillo on all three counts: using personal identifying information of another to obtain a driver’s license, a second-degree crime; tampering with public records, a third-degree crime; and falsifying records, a fourth-degree crime, Baker said.

The investigation revealed that Hopewell lived with the defendant in Atlantic City from 2002 through 2003. While there, Hopewell had his mail sent to the address. He also had his personal identifying documents, Baker said.

On Sept. 11, 2005, Patillo, who was in a motor vehicle, was stopped by Pleasantville Police and initially identified himself as Leon Hopewell.  Subsequently, Egg Harbor Township Police Detective Sidney Terrell searched items from the motor vehicle and found a hospital security badge with Patillo’s picture on it, and a Commerce Bank card, a Social Security card and a birth certificate, all in Hopewell’s name, Baker said.

The defendant faces 10 years or more at sentencing. Superior Court Judge James Isman is scheduled to sentence Patillo July 11.