COVINGTON, KY - A Michigan man was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for using other people’s credit card information to make purchases at retail stores in Campbell, Kenton and Boone Counties.
U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning sentenced 34-year-old Tyhkan S. Brunson for the use of unauthorized credit cards and aggravated identity theft. Judge Bunning also ordered Brunson and his co-defendants to jointly pay $5,478.76 in restitution.
Court documents state that in May of 2012, Brunson and three co-defendants possessed counterfeit credit cards bearing legitimate card numbers. In one day’s time they drove from Michigan to Kentucky and used the fraudulent cards to purchase thousands of dollars in gift cards and other merchandise from Home Depot, Meijer and Wal-Mart.
According to Brunson’s plea agreement, 32 people had their identities stolen and three banks lost money.
When Cold Spring Police in Campbell County conducted a vehicle stop of the defendants, officers located 26 counterfeit credit cards. They also found a co-defendant trying to destroy merchandise receipts by chewing them.
Brunson’s co-defendants previously received the following prison sentences: John Cotton, 44 months; Adam Sanford, 24 months, and Brittany Bell, 42 months.
Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Mark A. Porter, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service jointly announced the pleas.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura K. Voorhees.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
