Man accused of stealing identity gets state-issued ID in victim's name

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Sheriff's investigators said someone stole an Orange County man's identity and then went on a crime spree that involved dozens of illegal transactions at pawn shops across the county.

Authorities said they believe the suspect, Edward Driggers, walked into a driver's license office and walked out with the real ID card in the victim's name.

Investigators said once he got his hands on the state-issued ID card, Driggers went into pawnshops and sold items 15 different times.

John Sullivan of Beverly Hills Jewelry, Watch and Loan said Driggers was a regular customer with all the right documents, only he didn't know him as Edward Driggers because the ID card had another name on it.

Authorities said Driggers obtained the ID at the driver's license office in Winter Garden. Investigators said they believe he stole someone else's identity to get the real ID.

The victim asked Channel 9 not to reveal his name or show his face.

"From what I understand, the man went into the DMV and presented some mail and nothing else," the victim said.

The victim said the ID theft has been a nightmare. He said his credit is shot, and he believes someone, possibly Driggers, even used his information to get treated in the emergency room at Health Central Hospital.

"Health Central ER called me and asked how my arm was doing," the victim said.

The victim said he believes his information was compromised after a home burglary.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is looking into how the ID was issued.

In the meantime, sheriff's investigators are going after Driggers for the pawn shop forgeries.

Besides the 32 cases he's already charged in, investigators are looking at least 15 other cases they are trying to match to Driggers.

WFTV