Brother of Brighton man accused of running identity theft ring now faces charges himself

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

The brother of a Brighton man who is accused of masterminding an identity theft ring in downtown Boston was in court himself today, charged with two counts of attempted use of a fraudulent credit card, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office said.

Sharon Yousheei, 26, pleaded not guilty in Boston Municipal Court, where bail was set at $1,500 cash by Judge Thomas C. Horgan, Coakley’s office said.

Yousheei, who is also known as “Aaron” Yousheei, was arrested Tuesday night at Boston’s Logan International Airport after arriving on a flight from Mexico. He is the younger brother of Shahab “David” Yousheei, whom authorities allege is the leader of a crime ring that used stolen credit cards to buy gift cards and make high-end purchases of items that were sold for profit.

Shahab Yousheei, 36, last week pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of falsely making a credit card, in the same courthouse where his brother appeared today. Bail was set for him at $60,000 cash, prosecutors said.

Last week, Coakley, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Steven D. Ricciardi, special agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Boston, jointly announced the elder Yousheei’s arrest.

Coakley urged anyone who bought merchandise from the elder Yousheei’s kiosk at 449 Washington St. in downtown Boston to check their credit cards for suspicious purchases.