Fionghal Solomon MacEoghan, a dual Irish/U.S. citizen discovered through Facebook that a Russian man living back in his native Rhode Island had stolen his identity.
A Russian couple living in the US have now been charged with identity theft. US authorities allege that the couple, whose true names are unknown, used Mac Eoghan’s identity to fraudulently obtain US passports, driver’s licenses and purchase a home.
Mac Eoghan, who lives in Dublin and holds joint US and Irish citizenship, contacted police in Rhode Island after communicating with a woman on Facebook who told him that her husband had the same “unusual” name, according to the Irish Independent.
The Russian couple called themselves Fionghal and Oleysa MacEoghan. They were arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court charged with passport fraud, false statement of citizenship, identity theft and bank fraud.
Court filings state that the Irish-based MacEoghan discovered via Facebook that his identity was being used by the Russian couple.
When the MacEoghan of Ireland asked the woman via Facebook about the origin of her name she wrote: "I got it through my husband - his dad had it and as a matter of fact his second name is Solomon lol (sic)." The woman said she was Russian and her husband half Russian and half Irish.
The Dublin based man then filed a complaint with Irish and Rhode Island police.
The fake couple's neighbors in Warwick Rhode Island say they noticed nothing amiss. "They seem like nice people, but I would never really have thought of that from them," said neighbor Geoff Conway.
Russian spies recently exposed in New Jersey had used stolen Irish passports for their identities. It is not known if the cases are connected.
Comments