SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2020, Alexander Kolberg, 35, was arguing with a woman at a motel in New Braunfels. As the argument intensified, a good Samaritan tried to de-escalate the situation when Kolberg pulled a firearm out, cocked it and headed in the direction of the good Samaritan. Law enforcement officers were called, found the firearm, and arrested Kolberg. After a consensual search of Kolberg’s personal items, officers found a debit card in someone else’s name, blank checks, and identifying information for other people, including a notebook containing other people’s names, Social Security numbers, bank accounts and email addresses.
Further investigation revealed Kolberg created multiple bank accounts with stolen identifying information that he used to deposit forged checks. In one instance, he deposited approximately $15,000 into an account using checks from a deceased victim. Kolberg also had previous felony convictions, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
On January 21, 2022, Kolberg pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm; one count of financial institution fraud; and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Kolberg has remained in federal custody since his arrest on November 17, 2020.
“This prosecution and the sentence imposed demonstrate our steadfast commitment to protecting our community and victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Kolberg not only escalated a verbal argument by reaching for an illegal firearm, but also exploited numerous victims by stealing their identities and forging checks that he deposited in their names.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those who would defraud our financial institutions and victimize their customers,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson. “Financial fraud is a serious crime, and Alexander Kolberg will now have to face the consequences of his deceitful actions.”
“Protecting our community by ensuring that we aggressively work to hold all convicted felons accountable is a top priority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF),” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski. “We stand with our partners in law enforcement to support any investigation that involves the illegal possession of firearms. This sentence is a reminder to other offenders that we are dedicated to this cause.”
The FBI and ATF, with valuable assistance from the New Braunfels Police Department and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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