Use of Social Security number not impersonation, according to Colorado Supreme Court

By The AP
Thursday, October 28, 2010

DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that a man who used a stranger’s Social Security number in applying for a car loan didn’t commit criminal impersonation.

The Denver Post reported that the court threw out Felix Montes-Rodriguez’s 2006 conviction in a 4-3 decision.

Montes-Rodriguez used his own address, birth date and place of employment to apply for a loan, but used a woman’s Social Security number that he had been using for work. His immigration status isn’t known.

A majority of justices ruled that with so much identifying information on his application, he didn’t assume a false identity.

Prosecutors say the decision has little impact because new laws have stiffened penalties for unauthorized uses of Social Security numbers.