AP Business Writer

Thursday, February 17, 2005; 6:05 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) --

A Nigerian man accused of stealing from data warehouser ChoicePoint Inc. information that could be used in identity theft pleaded no contest Thursday and was sentenced to 16 months in state prison.

[snip]

"He's not cooperating in any way," Enger said. "There's nothing that he believes he has of any value to offer them."

Alpharetta, Ga.-based ChoicePoint initally only notified 35,000 people in California of the identity theft threat because the state has a law mandating the companies possession personal information must notify people if it is compromised.

The company said it decided to expand its warnings beyond California after learning that the fraud ring appeared to be a national operation.-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32814-2005Feb17.html