Craig Allen Galey of Everett, Washington, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in a prolific identity theft ring that operated throughout Snohomish County, according to HeraldNet.com.

In addition to his jail time, he has been ordered to pay back a grand total of $45,000 for committing bank fraud. and aggravated identity theft. Galey allegedly stole the identities of 70 different individuals while acting as leader of the crime ring.

Galey and several others worked together to create fake checks and identification documents, court records show. He and his cohorts broke into cars, homes business and mailboxes in order to steal the personal information of their victims.

Galey was arrested after police found a laboratory used to make fake identities in his apartment. It was also discovered that he had been creating fake payroll checks, which his conspirators cashed at a casino.

According to Javelin Strategy and Research, the number of identity theft cases rose 22 percent in 2008. Consumers who are concerned about the safety of their personal information should use secure payment services when shopping online, and break their dependency on credit cards.