A guilty plea this week by a Bowling Green man accused of identity theft marks the countys first prosecution of the crime, created in 2000 to battle a nationwide increase of identity thieves. Dwight Adam Lewis, 20, of Bowling Green pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge of identity theft before Warren Circuit Judge John D. Minton Jr., according to court records. The federal government reported this week that the number of identity theft cases reported by financial institutions in 2000 more than doubled over the previous year. Lewis attorney, Phil Grogan of Bowling Green, said attorneys negotiated a plea agreement that is expected to give Lewis two years in prison after final sentencing in July. Originally, Lewis could have faced a maximum of five years in prison with charges of identity theft and first-degree unlawful access to a computer, but the computer-related charge was dismissed with the guilty plea, according to court records. Lewis was accused of gathering information in March about Chong Hammond of Wexford, Pa., through a computer and then using the information obtain credit, Grogan said. The case was investigated by the Bowling Green Police Department and U.S. Postal Service and prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Mike Pearson. Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someones identifying information, such as address, birth date, mothers maiden name or Social Security number in order to impersonate them, according to the U.S. Postal Service Web site. With that information, thieves can gain control over someones financial accounts, buy cars, obtain credit cards and apply for loans. U.S. Postal Service investigators and other federal agencies are noticing a rise in identity theft across the country. Thieves can search for Social Security numbers on the Internet or go to specific Web sites that offer personal information for free, or for a fee, according to the services Web site. The U.S. General Accounting Office reported that the Secret Service made more than 10,000 arrests in 1999 related to financial crime. Of those, 94 percent involved identity fraud totaling losses of $745 million. Identity theft cases reported by financial institutions from January through November 2000 numbered 617, compared to just 267 in 1999, according to the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Financial institutions in 1998 reported 81 cases of identity theft, up from 44 in 1997.And while financial institutions are reporting a higher rate of identity theft they are opposed to proposed federal legislation that would make trade in Social Security numbers illegal and prohibit many businesses from making their customers divulge them.