Jackson, Miss. - Mark C. Hooten, 44, of Jackson, a local minister and a former subcontractor for DIRECTV, was sentenced on Feb. 20, 2014, to serve a total of 54 months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. Hooten was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $384,651.26 to DIRECTV, the victim of his fraudulent activity. He pled guilty to the charges on Nov. 13, 2014 before Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee.
Hooten admitted unlawfully using the social security numbers of existing DIRECTV customers without their permission to fabricate additional DIRECTV customer accounts under the pretext of establishing additional satellite service. He fraudulently obtained commission payments for fictitious satellite TV installations from DIRECTV and Dixon Security, a Mississippi company with whom Hooten subcontracted as a satellite TV service installer.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
disaster@leo.gov
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
