Todd Neuwirth, convicted Hurricane Harvey looter and identity thief, gets 75 years in prison

Nick Natario Image
Friday, June 1, 2018
Convicted Harvey identity thief gets prison
ABC13's Nick Natario reports on the prison sentence of Todd Neuwirth, who was convicted of stealing personal info from Hurricane Harvey victims.

SPLENDORA, Texas (KTRK) -- A man convicted of taking the personal information of flood victims who evacuated their homes during Hurricane Harvey will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

Todd Parker Neuwirth, 41, was sentenced to spend 75 years behind bars.

Neuwirth was arrested during a traffic stop last September. It was there that Splendora police officers found bag after bag of stolen property, including checks, credit cards, and licenses.

Neuwirth went to trial earlier this month and was found guilty for his crime.

RELATED: Identity thief charged in crime spree that targeted Hurricane Harvey victims

Prosecutors say Neuwirth's actions were about the worst they've ever seen. It went so low, they say, that after a shopping plaza in Humble flooded during Harvey, he stole paperwork with people's personal identification on it.

"He has a spot in the identity theft hall of fame, and that hall of a fame is a Texas prison," said Rob Freyer, Montgomery County assistant district attorney. "That's where he's going. That's where he should stay, because if he ever gets out he'll do it again."

According to Freyer, Neuwirth has more than a dozen felony convictions, mainly for drugs and identity theft. It's an operation, he says, Neuwirth took to another level after Harvey.

"Three computer apparatuses, printers, scanners, as well as the identities of 20 to 30 people," said Freyer who listed the looter's take.

Freyer added a lot of the affected people were Harvey victims, and a handful of them came from a nail salon that flooded. Neuwirth stole job applications, which would have given him the ability to open credit cards and checking accounts.

"He was making his own checks and utilizing another person to cash that check. Then, the bank is out of that money. Then, the person whose name is on the check, the true person, their credit is ruined," said Freyer.

Neuwirth was convicted of tampering with a government document and identity theft. He faced life behind bars, but with a sentence of 75 years, prosecutors are confident the Neuwirth will never see freedom again.

"His criminal imagination knows no bounds. That's why this sentence is so good, because he will not have the opportunity to steal innocent people's identities going forward for a very long time," said Freyer.

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