Deputies bust alleged multi-county ID theft ring

An accident in late September helped Dodge County sheriff’s deputies break an alleged identity theft ring operating in four counties.

Keith Williams, 37, is accused of theft by receiving stolen property and using a license plate to conceal or misrepresent the identity of a vehicle, according to a news release from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.

A Georgia state trooper recognized the vehicle identification and tag numbers did not match on a 2008 Ford F-150 that Williams was driving, the release stated.

Dodge deputies realized Williams had possession of several different stolen vehicles and had access to the owners’ keys and Social Security and account numbers through his job as a delivery driver for an auto parts dealer.

Williams was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property and 56 counts of identity theft in Dodge County. He also faces charges in Ben Hill, Laurens and Houston counties, the release stated.

A co-conspirator also was charged in the case but that person’s identity has not been released.