BATON ROUGE - More than a month before he was arrested and accused in a national identity theft scheme, Donald Batiste was the focus of an ABC News investigation about the very scheme the Louisiana Attorney General accuses him of leading.

"They're not telling the truth," Batiste said of people who complained about him to an ABC News reporter who came to East Baton Rouge Parish from New York City to confront him about the operation. The AG said Batiste, 24, used his Baton Rouge- based credit repair company to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including theft, identity theft and money laundering. Over the course of his scheme, Batiste is accused of defrauding hundreds of individuals, along with financial institutions and automobile dealerships, across the country.

The AG announced the arrest of Batiste Tuesday. ABC News aired its investigation on "Nightline," a late-night news program that is broadcast on WBRZ, in August.

"Through this bogus company, hundreds of social security numbers were stolen and then sold to customers who were trying to legitimately improve their credit and obtain loans," Attorney General Caldwell said.

"Batiste is a wolf in sheep's clothing," a minister who was a victim of the alleged scheme said in an interview with ABC.

Wednesday, authorities announced the arrest of a second person, Brenda Taylor.

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