Sandwich man sentenced for identity theft, using stolen credit card in Conway [06/25/2005]

By Nate Giarnese

Investigations by Sandwich and Moultonborough police have led to the conviction of a one-time Sandwich man who went on a spending spree with a stolen credit card.In Carroll County Superior Court Friday, Charles Card, 31, was sentenced to one and a half to five years in state prison on a host of identify fraud, theft and burglary charges. Prosecutors said Card, using a false name, called on a Moultonborough woman about a car she had advertised for sale. When she turned her back, he stole cash and a credit card and made buys in at least six shops in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including at least one in Conway.A resulting investigation by Moultonborough police revealed that only one out of the six clerks in stores including Irving Mainway, JC Penney, Kmart, Fermentation Station and Radio Shack questioned Card for using a card with a woman's name.Prosecutors said Kmart in Tewksbury, Mass., denied the credit card, after Card said the he was the son of the card holder."That s the first entity that questioned it?" Superior Court Judge James O'Neill asked with a raised eyebrow.Assistant County Attorney Rena DiLando said a concurrent burglary investigation by Sandwich police, eventually implicating Card, led to his capture."They are two investigations that seem to have come together, Sandwich and Moultonborough," DiLando said at Thursday's sentencing.Card pled guilty in April to seven class B felonies and three class B misdemeanors.He has a criminal conviction record dating back to 2005, DiLando said. Charges from states including Connecticut, include criminal trespass, larceny, burglary, possession of narcotics, breach of peace and probation violation.Card also must pay about $350 restitution to his victims and undergo drug counseling.Card's public defender John Bresaw said this will mark Card's first state prison term, having only served time in a smaller jail. Drugs he said, drove the man to crime."He is a heroin addict," Bresaw said. "He had a horrible day, and did some horrible things. He has a heroin problem."Bresaw said Card sought treatment before his most recent arrest."I messed up. I was on drugs," a remorseful Card said Friday. "I apologize to everybody I've hurt. I deserve everything I got."