An alleged identity theft and forgery ring was disrupted in southeast Phoenix this week after deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office executed warrants at two residences and arrested five illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Michael Stocks of Scottsdale was sentenced to seven years in prison on July 7 after pleading guilty to aggravated taking the identity of another person. Theodore Paschall received 6 1/2 in prison on July 9 after pleading guilty to trafficking in the identity of another person.

Maricopa County Attorney Richard Romley plans on forming a new unit by early summer that specializes in identity theft.

Dianne Cutter doesn't swipe her credit card at the gas station anymore. She became a cash-only customer after her card was skimmed from the credit card reader and a thief made charges to her card.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Four years after Sacramento County Child Protective Services removed Katrina Haywood from her mother's abusive grip, the woman still has managed to stand in the way of her daughter entering college, finding a job or paying for the roof over her head.

With the recent tragic events in Japan and the president's military action against Libya, an important story was lost in the media cycles. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Egypt and pledged tens of millions of your taxpaying dollars to their governmental reconstruction effort. Again, we are left asking the federal government, "Where are we getting the money?"

In an attempt to better combat identity theft, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in partnership with the Shred-It company and Westech Recyclers is sponsoring a shred-a-thon on Thursday.

The theft of personal information from a Tempe woman’s mailbox led to her being charged for $1,255 worth of Wal-Mart merchandise, police said.

Nearly two months after Peggy Farnsworth’s purse was stolen, the Tempe woman didn’t dare wonder how things could get any worse. Identity thieves had drained her accounts for $12,000 in fraudulent purchases plus another $8,000 in fines for nonsufficient funds.

An identity-theft ring that victimized thousands of Valley residents has been busted, authorities said.

Banks and other financial institutions will have a powerful new tool starting later this month to combat identity theft across Arizona.

Identity theft, called the fastest-growing crime in the country by law enforcement officials, is the topic of a free seminar Tuesday night in Scottsdale.

Don’t become a victim of identity theft. The Mesa Main Library is offering a free workshop on how to avoid the dangers and pitfalls of this virtual crime. The workshop is held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6.

Although the theft of personal information -- such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth and credit card numbers -- has been a big problem for individuals for a number of years, the equivalent for businesses has become a multibillion-dollar headache.

When Don Molenda received an inheritance in early 2010 he did what he thought was smart and took it right to the bank. He placed all the money into a secure savings account, was told he'd get a statement quarterly, and he walked away.

There is no question that identity theft is a problem in Arizona, but there are ways to keep private information out of public hands.

There is no question that identity theft is a problem in Arizona, but there are ways to keep private information out of public hands.

A Gilbert man who stole a Michigan man’s identity and used it for 12 years to gain jobs and buy a vehicle was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Monday.

A Pinal County employee accused of stealing a resident’s identity through his access to public records was arrested Tuesday, officials said.

According to the government, 8.3 million Americans fell victim to identity theft in 2005. Estimated losses surpassed $15 billion. Fortunately, you can protect yourself from identity theft.

Earl Simmons, also known as rapper DMX, was arrested Saturday afternoon on a warrant for a class three felony charge for identity theft.