ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Adrienne Pritchett, 42, of District Heights, Md., was sentenced today to 57 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Pritchett has also agreed to pay full restitution to victims.
Co-defendant Jamille Ferguson, 31, of Dumfries, Va., was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ferguson was also ordered to pay $47,025.61 in restitution to victims.
Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kathy A. Michalko, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Secret Service’s Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Pritchett pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2013, and Ferguson pleaded guilty on October 8, 2013.
According to court documents, Pritchett stole the identities of more than 450 clients of her employer, an insurance provider catering to employees of the U.S. Department of State, Department of Defense, and Agency for International Development, many of whom are stationed overseas. Pritchett’s live-in boyfriend, co-defendant Christopher Bush, used the stolen identities to make fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing the victim’s real name, address and date of birth. Members of the identity theft ring, including Ferguson, used those fraudulent driver’s licenses to open credit lines at retailers and obtain merchandise and gift cards at victims’ expense. On several occasions, Pritchett sold this stolen merchandise to her colleagues.
Two other members of the identity theft ring have already been sentenced. On December 6, 2013, Segale Battle, 30, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced to 12 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $130,262.35 in restitution for her role in stealing at least 20 identities and several company checks from the Washington-based dental practice where she worked. On Dec. 13, 2013, Rungnatee Pearson, 45, of Bronx, NY, was sentenced to 5 months in prison, 5 months of home confinement, and 2 years of supervised release for using 10 stolen identities to obtain $19,521.96 in merchandise. Pearson was also ordered to repay $19,521.96 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Fairfax County Police Department, with assistance from the City of Fairfax Police Department, Prince George’s County W.A.V.E. (Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement), Prince George’s County Financial Crimes Section, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, Delaware State Police, Maryland State Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of State.
Assistant United States Attorney Lindsay Kelly and Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Roman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
