A branch manager of a Queens, NY mortgage company has been caught opening fake Home Depot accounts using personal information obtained from loan applications and has been charged with grand larceny, says the NYT.

Mr. Milton is an immigrant from Bangladesh who was granted political asylum by the United States who had a cable television program in Queens for fellow immigrants from his homeland, the police said.

He worked for the Griffin Mortgage Company as manager of its branch at 72-32 Broadway, in Jackson Heights, and his sister was his secretary, the police said. The mortgage office was where the first six complainants had divulged personal financial information when they applied for loans, the police said. Many were seeking to become first-time homeowners.

But because the quoted interest rates were too high, the applicants withdrew and looked elsewhere. Some discovered their identities had been stolen when other mortgage companies ran credit checks, the police said.

Some victims also received bills from Home Depot for as much as $30,000 for merchandise they had not ordered or received, the police said.

Milton didn’t stop there, he’s also accused of mortgage fraud. The Times says its “unclear” as to whether or not Milton was taking out fraudulent mortgages for use in his “side buisiness”—flipping houses.

Mortgage Office Manager Charged With Identity Theft and Grand Larceny [New York Times]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.