Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

According to an affidavit, a collection agency sought payment of a RadioShack credit card debt of $1,632 from someone who had been a Rhode Island Hospital patient. But the former patient filed a complaint with the Cranston Police, saying he never opened the account in question. The patient also found out a cell phone account had been opened in his name at the Garfield Avenue RadioShack store -- an account with an outstanding balance of $1,353.

Secret Service agents probed the matter and found several people who had bought what they thought were pre-paid cell phones for $50 each, and that a man named “Mike,” who was a Rhode Island Hospital security guard, was selling the phones. The phones stopped working about two weeks after people bought them.

According to the affidavit, since summer 2006, Bermudez had been going to the Cranston RadioShack every few weeks with people's personal information. With the help of Valerio, Alvarez or another person, Bermudez opened cell phone accounts in other people's names, activated phones for those accounts, and then attempted to sell the phones.

Bermudez would arrive at the store in hospital security guard uniform, according to the affidavit, with identity information written paper slips. A Secret Service agent found that Bermudez had worked second shift in the hospital's emergency room and had access to all emergency room areas.

The security guard company fired Bermudez in February "for reasons not directly related to the charges filed today," the news release said.