Former Point Park teacher charged with identity theft
Trial date set for April 30
Kevin Moran
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Web Extras
When Julie Ann Paul called Visa about what she thought was a mistaken $73.36 on her account, she had no clue that her brother-in-law, a former adjunct professor at Point Park University, was behind it.
Erin Rae Plavecsky was in Jason Joy's math class at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he also taught, but never gave him permission to set up eBay and Hotmail accounts that she later learned were used to make illegal transactions.
When someone signed up for three credit cards, then submitted a change of address fromm his lifelong home with the U.S. Post Office, James R. Tressler Jr. never suspected his son-in-law, Jason Joy.
Five years later, all of them are well aware of Jason Douglas Joy of Mechanicsburg, who was charged after a four-year investigation with the theft of all of their identities in a probe that was completed when the professor's wife provided evidence of his guilt to state police.
Mr. Joy, Ph D in mathematics, who taught at Point Park University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh until 2006, faces trial on April 30 for four counts of identity theft and three counts of unlawful use of a computer, criminal use of a communication facility and access device fraud.
According to a probable cause affidavit that led to the charges, Kerry Joy, his wife, confronted Joy many times about the accusations against him regarding identity theft, and each time Joy said he was being set-up by someone who is trying to ruin his life.
Identity theft is a crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. If caught committing identity theft, thieves are looking at spending a minimum of three to five years in prison.
On March 5, 2004, Paull, Jason Joy's sister-in-law, contacted State Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater after she was billed $73.36 from eBay, which she had never done business with before.
She quickly learned from David Carlson, eBay's legal fraud investigator, that someone was using her identity to sell items on the Internet site. Paull stated that she thought it had something to do with her brother-in-law. The issue was left unresolved, but Joy became the focus of a state police investigation.
Erin Rae Plavecsky was in Jason Joy's math class at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he also taught, but never gave him permission to set up eBay and Hotmail accounts that she later learned were used to make illegal transactions.
When someone signed up for three credit cards, then submitted a change of address fromm his lifelong home with the U.S. Post Office, James R. Tressler Jr. never suspected his son-in-law, Jason Joy.
Five years later, all of them are well aware of Jason Douglas Joy of Mechanicsburg, who was charged after a four-year investigation with the theft of all of their identities in a probe that was completed when the professor's wife provided evidence of his guilt to state police.
Mr. Joy, Ph D in mathematics, who taught at Point Park University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh until 2006, faces trial on April 30 for four counts of identity theft and three counts of unlawful use of a computer, criminal use of a communication facility and access device fraud.
According to a probable cause affidavit that led to the charges, Kerry Joy, his wife, confronted Joy many times about the accusations against him regarding identity theft, and each time Joy said he was being set-up by someone who is trying to ruin his life.
Identity theft is a crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. If caught committing identity theft, thieves are looking at spending a minimum of three to five years in prison.
On March 5, 2004, Paull, Jason Joy's sister-in-law, contacted State Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater after she was billed $73.36 from eBay, which she had never done business with before.
She quickly learned from David Carlson, eBay's legal fraud investigator, that someone was using her identity to sell items on the Internet site. Paull stated that she thought it had something to do with her brother-in-law. The issue was left unresolved, but Joy became the focus of a state police investigation.
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PPU fly on the wall
posted 4/28/08 @ 9:39 AM EST
This is a good story! I am sorry it Happened, however its nice to see such a good story in the globe.
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