Thread: Family battles illegal alien ID theft all the way to Washing

KNOXVILLE — A couple battling an identity theft nightmare has taken their story all the way to Capitol Hill for a hearing on immigration.

It started with a speeding ticket and became a several-year nightmare for Jayme and Lora Costner of Newport.
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"I was kind of shocked and then it snowballed from there," Jayme Costner said. "The report says 4'11" hispanic male, I'm not really a 4'11" hispanic male."

After a search and court procedures, Costner realized his identity was stolen by a man who was dating his wife's sister.

But the identity trouble didn't end there.

The Costners soon found out about a worker's compensation claim at Morristown's Koch foods under Lora Costner's name and social security number.

Costner has never worked there.

So she filed identity theft charges with police, but the law does not prohibit using a false identity to get employment.

"Two weeks later, we got a letter and we owed $7,854 in back taxes."

Because their social security numbers and names were attached to earnings in Morristown, the IRS came calling for money owed.

So the Costners started calling politicians. Congressman David Davis threw his weight behind their struggle with the IRS and invited Lora Costner to testify to a House of Representatives sub-committee.

Her testimony is available on YouTube.

"It's one thing to protect the immigrant, it's another to protect the American citizen," Representative Davis (R), Tennessee said.

The Congressman says the immigration hearing dealt primarily with how to most humanely and sensitively go into employers and do "immigration raids".

Davis says he invited Lora Costner to tell her story and give the other side of the immigration issue.

"We were fed up and so tired," Lora Costner said. "I think people genuinely wanted to help but they just didn't know how."

That's where a program called 287 (g) aims to bridge the gap between the enforcement provided by federal authorities and local jurisdictions.

It gives local officers more role in enforcing immigration law. The Morristown Police Department has tried to get in but has been rejected before.

Rep. Davis is now backing a House bill to allow more communities into the program.

"So they can work along with ICE to make sure people are picked up and deported when they need to be," Davis said.

Critics and immigration rights supporters argue expanding authority on immigration law could lead to legal immigrants being unnecessarily hassled and constantly asked for their documentation.

As for the Costners, the nearly $8,000 they were billed in back taxes has been waived, but they worry false tax statements from 2006 and 2007 are still looming ahead.

The Costners have filed a lawsuit against Koch Foods, saying the company knowingly employed undocumented workers. The family says they've turned down an offer to settle their case for $1,000. As of Monday evening, the Illinois-based chicken processor said they had no one available to comment on the situation.

If you fear you've been the victim of identity theft, your first step should be to put an alert on your credit report with the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Next, you want to close any accounts you feel might have been compromised, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, and file a report with local authorities.
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http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 1/80805107

So she filed identity theft charges with police, but the law does not prohibit using a false identity to get employment.

What?!!! Isn't document fraud a crime? Someone better get busy fast to fix this little oversight.

Originally Posted by vortex

So she filed identity theft charges with police, but the law does not prohibit using a false identity to get employment.

What?!!! Isn't document fraud a crime? Someone better get busy fast to fix this little oversight.

Unless your an American citizen...try it an see what happens to you!

NO don't just kidding

The YouTube video of the young woman's testimony.

Ephesians 4:32

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

The YouTube video of the young woman's testimony.

Ephesians 4:32

Yes, where is the link to that.

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