October 18, 2006

Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Director Janet Olszewski today praised the MDCH Vital Records and Health Statistics office for their effective work at stopping an identity theft from occurring when a convicted sex offender tried to fraudulently obtain a birth record in order to conceal his identity.

Bradford Storti of Rock, Michigan was charged today in Lansing's 54-A District Court. Storti is a registered sex offender in Michigan. He was trying to obtain the birth record of John Slapp, an infant who died in 1972.

"We have been vigilant when it comes to the security of vital records and have taken great steps to protect the birth and death records of the citizens of the State of Michigan," said Olszewski.

In 2004, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed the Identity Theft Protection Act, Public Act 452, which made it a felony for those who would attempt to fraudulently obtain birth records. This act makes it a felony to use or attempt to use personal identifying information of someone else with intent to fraudulently or illegally obtain a vital record. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine up to $25,000. In addition to a violation of the Identity Theft Protection Act, the Attorney General charged Storti with other felonies with sentences up to 14 years.

"We work diligently to detect when people are attempting to get records they should not have access to and routinely refer these cases to the Attorney General's office for prosecution," said Olszewski. "We are extremely pleased that this case has moved forward."

Staff working in MDCH Vital Records and Health Statistics received a request from Storti in August 2005 for John Slapp's birth certificate. This request was refused because Storti was not authorized to receive the record. In January 2006, MDCH received a signed petition for John Slapp's birth record from a person claiming to be John Slapp. When staff in Vital Records and Health Statistics discovered that Slapp had been deceased since 1972, they provided their investigative findings to the Attorney General's office for continued investigation with the Michigan State Police.

"Our employees take their responsibilities and duties to protect vital records very seriously," said Olszewski. "In this case, their hard work has meant that a convicted sex offender will not be able to assume a new identity and prey upon others."