CONCORD - Armelle Chester, 26, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced in federal court on Friday to serve to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2018, in Nashua, New Hampshire, Chester conspired with co-defendants Everton Ellis and Jeffrey Martin (both of whom have entered guilty pleas) to use stolen identities to defraud the Sprint Corporation. Members of the conspiracy contacted Sprint to establish new accounts in the stolen names, causing Sprint to ship thousands of dollars’ worth of iPads and iPhones on credit. The defendants then intercepting the goods in New Hampshire. As part of the scheme, the defendants obtained and possessed without authority the names and other personal identifiers of nearly 200 residents or former residents of New Hampshire.
Chester previously pleaded guilty on July 16, 2018. In addition to the prison sentenced, Chester was ordered to pay $123,939.09 in restitution.
“Identity theft is a crime that causes real financial damage to its victims," said U.S. Attorney Murray. “I am grateful to the law enforcement officers whose hard work stopped this scheme and prevented further losses."
“The United States Secret Service is committed to investigating financial crimes including the unauthorized use of personally identifiable information (PII) for financial gain," said Timothy Benitez, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Manchester Resident Office. “The success of this investigation is a result of the cooperation between federal and local law enforcement partners."
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail. We will continue to conduct investigations that seek prosecution of those who fraudulently use the U.S. Mail by working with our federal and local law enforcement partners." U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Inspector in Charge, Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Nashua Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
