PHOENIX – LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – Gerald Allen Phillips, aka Adam Joseph Bolander, 47, of Tucson, Ariz. was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton to 21 months in prison for three felony offenses: Escape, Social Security Fraud and Material False Statement to the Postal Service. Judge Bolton also ordered Phillips to pay $11,060 in restitution and to perform 100 hours of community service
In pleading guilty on June 25, 2007, Phillips admitted that he had been sentenced on May 30, 2003, under the assumed identity of Adam Joseph Bolander, to three years in federal prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Phillips was to be released from custody on February 5, 2005, via a good conduct release. On August 10, 2004, Phillips was designated to serve a portion of his sentence at Dismas Charities, a work release facility located in Tucson. On August 17, 2004, Phillips signed out of the facility for a work related activity and never returned. Today’s sentence was ordered by Judge Bolton to run consecutive to the remaining term of Phillips’ conspiracy conviction.
Phillips also admitted that on March 9, 2005, he assumed the identity of Robert Smith for the purpose of obtaining a PayPal credit account. In the course of completing a PayPal credit account application, Phillips used the alias Robert Smith and falsely represented his own social security number as the number actually to the true person named Robert Smith. With respect to the Material False Statement to the Postal Service offense, on March 16, 2005, Phillips, aka Robert Smith, made a false statement on a Postal Service delivery form by claiming that he was Robert Smith. Phillips admitted that he made the statement in order receive mail related to a credit card account addressed to Robert Smith. Along with his guilty pleas to the three felony offenses, Phillips agreed to pay restitution to Robert Smith, along with other victims, for losses he caused through financial fraud and assuming the identity of others. During the course of the sentencing, Phillips admitted that his commission of all these offenses was primarily driven by his addiction to methamphetamine since 2000.
Phillips was in federal custody at the time of sentencing and will remain in custody until the completion of his sentences. The investigation in this case was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Social Security Administration and the Phoenix Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Frederick A. Battista and Beverly Anderson, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson offices, respectively.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2007-247(Phillips)
CASE NUMBERS: CR-05-2393-PHX-SRB and CR-07-755-PHX-SRB
