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U. S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Western District of North Carolina
December 18, 2008
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THEFT/FRAUD
RING CHARGED FOR STEALING, SELLING AND FRAUDULENTLY USING
STOLEN SECURITIES AND IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS Losses to Individuals, Merchants and Financial Institutions Calculated in Excess of $100,000 CHARLOTTE, NC-Nine perpetrators allegedly involved in a conspiracy to defraud individuals, merchants and financial institutions by stealing or buying stolen securities (checks, money orders, traveler's checks), stolen drivers' licenses, and other identification documents, have been charged with numerous crimes, including wire fraud conspiracy, identity theft conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and dealing in counterfeit securities. Today's announcement is made by U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Operations in North Carolina Nathan T. Gray, and Chief Rodney Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The scheme is alleged to have lasted from about January 2003 to the present, and to have been carried out within the Western District of North Carolina, the Middle District of North Carolina, the District of South Carolina, the Eastern District of Virginia, and elsewhere. "Today's indictment underscores our continuing efforts to prosecute identity theft and fraud crimes through collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement," said U.S. Attorney Shappert. "These charges allege fraud on a grand scale. Our message is clear: individuals who participate in elaborate fraud and identity theft schemes will get the 'federal treatment' through investigation, vigorous prosecution, and severe penalties for those who are convicted." Loretta Blakeney-Herron,
Latoya Blakeney, Lajarika Blakeney, Laquasha Blakeney, Each defendant was arrested this morning on the federal charges. Information and status of each defendant is listed below. In an indictment returned on December 17, 2008 by a federal grand jury in Charlotte, the nine defendants were charged with wire fraud conspiracy (count one) and with identity theft conspiracy (count two). Seven of the nine defendants are also charged in counts three through six with wire fraud. Defendants Latoya Blakeney and Shontavia Barber are both charged in two additional and separate counts alleging bank fraud. Counts nine through 16 charge the nine defendants with aggravated identity theft and aiding abetting one another. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation. The federal indictment alleges that Defendants Garnett Coulbourne, Terrell Zardee, and others were responsible for obtaining the stolen securities (checks) and identification documents, all of which had been stolen from cars and homes. According to the indictment Coulbourne and Zardee and others would sell those stolen items to Loretta Blakeney-Herron, Latoya Blakeney, and Lajarika Blakeney. Additionally, according to the indictment, after purchasing the stolen securities, defendants Loretta Blakeney-Herron and Latoya Moore would also purchase fraudulent and fictitious securities from an individual who created them utilizing their home computer. Once the stolen securities and fictitious identification documents were purchased, according to the allegations contained in the indictment, Loretta Blakeney-Herron, Latoya Blakeney, Lajarika Blakeney, Laquasha Blakeney, Latoya Moore, Gabriel Neal, and others then traveled to retail stores and purchased merchandise with the stolen and fictitious materials, often after forging the true check owner's signature, and often using the stolen and fictitious materials to facilitate the transaction. Once these transactions were complete, the defendants, as alleged in the indictment, would either return the merchandise for cash, would sell the merchandise to others, would gift the merchandise to family and friends, or keep it for their own personal use. In addition
to the allegations above, the indictment also alleges that defendants
Latoya The case is
being handled for the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin
Zolot. Alexander County
Sheriff's Office, North Carolina U.S. Attorney Shappert also expressed appreciation for the extensive cooperation of local businesses: "Without the outstanding cooperation of private citizens and merchants, today's indictment would not have been possible," she said. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. In the American justice system, a person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty at trial or by guilty plea. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine on the wire fraud conspiracy count (count one) alone. On September 26, 200 President Bush signed into law a bill that filled the gaps in previous identity theft laws by ensuring that victims can recover the value of the time lost attempting to repair damage inflicted by identity theft, criminalizing additional acts of identity thieves, and expanding the definition of aggravated identity theft. Aggravated identity theft occurs if identity theft is committed in the commission of another crime. Aggravated
identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that is imposed
in addition to whatever sentence might otherwise be imposed for
the underlying crime. What Victims
of Identity Theft Should Do Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts you can't explain. Close the accounts
that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently
Online: ftc.gov/idtheft Laquasha Blakeney,
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