Man steals son's identity and amasses debt of over $100,000 in credit card bills
Michael Trichilo Sr. of Lackawanna County has turned himself in to authorities and faces charges of identity theft and fraud. A report by WNEP shared that he had used his son's social security number and has been able to amass a debt of almost $120,000 in his son's name.
Trichilo Jr. was unsuccessful in getting his loan approved to buy his first car when he was 16. When he did a background check, it was revealed that he had already amassed a large credit card debt which hadn't been paid and hence his car loan was rejected. Authorities revealed that Trichilo Sr. had actually filed for bankruptcy back in 2015. After that, he had been using his son's identity and credit card for the money. His reckless spending soon led to debts over a hundred grand but all in the name of Trichilo Jr.
Authorities revealed that Trichilo Jr. was initially not willing to file charges against his father and was unwilling to take him to court. The papers presented in the court revealed that Trichilo Sr. had promised his son to make things right but he never did which left the son with no other option than to cooperate with authorities.
Trichilo Sr. had been doing this for over six years. When he turned himself to the Lackawanna County Courthouse, he was charged with 18 felony counts. The charges include fraud and identity theft. He was later released without a bond but is to make himself available to the court in the coming week.
The problem which emerged was that if he would not have been brought to justice, his son would have been stuck with the debt which had grown so phenomenally that it became impossible for the son to not act. Katelyn McManamon from Penn East Federal Credit Union told WNEP that the responsibility of managing one's credit lies solely with that person. "Here at the credit union, we always recommend that people check their credit at least once a year. You do need to be the advocate for yourself as far as credit goes, and you need to check it at least once a year. Look for any discrepancies, look for anything that may be funny, then contact that credit bureau."
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