My question involves criminal law for the state of: North Carolina
Last week a friend of mine was arrested and served with a grand jury indictment. The charges were from early 1999 and included Identity Theft (gs 14-113.20), Obtaining Property by false pretenses (gs 14-100), and Obtaining ID using false info (gs 14-100.1). All three charges come from the NC DMV saying that he obtained a drivers license with his brother's information and my friend’s picture in 1999.
The worst offense listed is the identity theft charge being a class G felony. From what I could find NC enacted the identity theft law on 12-1-1999 and it was specifically Financial Identity Theft. In 2005 the law was ratified to also list obtaining anything of value which would include a driver’s license. Would this charge violate any kind of ex post facto restrictions?
He was also laid off from employment recently and is thinking of asking the Judge for a Public Defender. What are anyones opinions on Public Defenders vs Private Attornys?

