| New York Mets star Pedro Martinez and 90 other Major League Baseball (MLB) players were the potential targets of an identity-theft scheme that appears to have been disrupted before reaching fruition, according to federal authorities. The suspect in the scheme is 38-year-old Chicago resident David Dright, who was charged this week with 19 counts of identity theft after authorities discovered that he possessed tax returns, loan applications, and other financial documents belonging to 91 current and former MLB players. Dright acquired the documents by sifting through a dumpster behind the offices of SFX Baseball, a company that represents MLB players during contract negotiations. "I don't think [Dright] realized the extent of what he pulled out of" the dumpster, said one police official. "He recognized the names of some of the [players], but I don't think he really knew." SFX officials did not comment when asked why they did not shred the documents. A consultant who works for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls prompted the investigation after finding out that Dright was using his personal data to apply for mortgage loans and credit cards. |
