SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Matthew Gene Ballard, 38, of Manteca, was sentenced on Friday, September 8, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to six years and three months in prison for executing a bank fraud and identity theft scheme and for numerous violations of his supervised release for a prior conviction, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “Postal Inspectors work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for thefts of mail and identity theft crimes committed against the public."
Ballard pleaded guilty to the offenses on Feb. 10, 2017.
According to court documents, Ballard had been released from federal prison on March 27, 2015, after serving three years in prison for similar offenses and was on supervised release. Between July 2015 and April 2016, Ballard, working with others, obtained stolen U.S. Mail and stolen property, and using the identification information and mail contents, made counterfeit identifications. Ballard used the identities to fraudulently open accounts, obtain lines of credit, and get cash and goods at the expense of banks and merchants. As part of his scheme, Ballard stole his own landlord’s identity and used unauthorized credit cards to pay for personal expenses.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the cases.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
