NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a scheme to purchase alcohol for resale from Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores with stolen debit and credit card numbers.
According to court documents, Tyrell Jackson, 44, joined together with three other men to defraud Virginia ABC stores by using debit and credit cards re-encoded with the stolen financial information of identity theft victims. Investigators have identified 20 direct victims of identity theft from Jackson’s role in the conspiracy, and at least 82 victims of the broader conspiracy.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2021. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud offense carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Tom Kirby, Chief of Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-45.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
