Braintree man pleads guilty to fraud

[Erica Absetz <erica () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.wickedlocal.com/braintree/news/x1433806809/Braintree-man-pleads-guilty-to-fraud

Braintree —

A Braintree man admitted last week in U.S. District Court in Boston
that he stole credit cards from a mail-sorting facility and used them
to commit fraud.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Gerald K. Acholonu, 32,
pleaded guilty March 28 before U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns to
credit card fraud and theft of mail.

Acholonu faces between 48 and 57 months in prison, followed by three
years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 25.

> From August 2010 through May 2011, Acholonu worked for a contractor
that sorted mail for the U.S. Postal Service.

In late April 2011, after Acholonu was spotted leaving his employer’s
restroom with a tray of mail, investigators searched the trash from
his residence and found 11 stolen Discover credit cards as well as
evidence that he was using or planning to use the Discover customers’
identities by setting up telephone accounts in their names.

In his plea agreement, the parties agreed that there were more than
250 victims and the losses totaled between $400,000 and $1 million.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, joined by Kevin Niland, postal inspector
in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Rafael Medina,
special agent in charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of
Inspector General, Boston Field Office, announced Acholonu’s plea.

Scott Garland and Eric Christofferson of Ortiz’s cybercrimes and
economic crimes units prosecuted the case.
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