SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Frances Marie Charles, 35, of Stockton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Troy L. Nunley to five years and five months in prison for aggravated identity theft and mail fraud, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, between June 2012 and December 2013, Charles participated in a scheme to obtain replacement American Express credit cards in the names and account numbers of others. In total, the scheme yielded over 215 credit cards in the names of at least 172 different people. Charles would make calls to American Express and use stolen identification and financial information of victims to cause the replacement cards to be sent to Stockton. Charles and others would then use the cards to make various fraudulent charges and purchases. The total value of the transactions attempted with the cards was well in excess of $400,000.
In sentencing Charles, Judge Nunley noted how much identity theft disrupts the lives of victims, and how much time victims often need to spend addressing the effects of identity theft in their lives.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher S. Hales prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
