Worcester Man Arrested for Purchasing MBTA Passes Using Others’ Identities

BOSTON – A Worcester man was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with using stolen identities to fraudulently purchase MBTA passes.    

Kokou Kuakumensah, 31, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to charging documents, between approximately January 2019 and March 2020, Kuakumensah used other individuals’ credit card accounts to fraudulently purchase MBTA commuter rail passes. Kuakumensah then re-sold these passes for less than their face value, including advertising the passes on Craiglist. 

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentenced imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; and Chief Kenneth Green of the MBTA Transit Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.