Attorney General Madigan: Seven Sentenced for ID Theft Scheme at Wrigley Field, Chicago Restaurants

[Erica Absetz <erica () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/law-and-order/state-crime-reports/42222-attorney-general-madigan-seven-sentenced-for-id-theft-scheme-at-wrigley-field-chicago-restaurants.html

Chicago--(ENEWSPF)--April 17, 2013.  Attorney General Lisa Madigan
today announced sentences against seven defendants who illegally
obtained personal banking information from patrons visiting Chicago
area restaurants and attractions, including Wrigley Field and the
Magnificent Mile’s RL Restaurant.

Defendants Joseph Woods, Britain E. Woods, Alex Houston, Jenette
Farrar, Essence S. Houston, Kenyetta Davis and William Washington pled
guilty and were sentenced for “skimming” personal banking information,
which was used to make purchases of more than $200,000. The banking
and credit card account information was stolen from customers who
patronized Chicago area establishments, including Wrigley Field, RL
Restaurant, a Chicago Taco Bell location and a McDonald’s restaurant
in Berwyn.

Joseph Woods organized the scheme by paying the defendants, who were
employees at the various establishments, to skim credit card
information of paying customers using a small credit card reader
provided to them by Woods and Washington. The employees swiped
approximately 175 cards through the readers, enabling Woods to
reproduce counterfeit credit cards and allowing Woods, Washington and
Alex Houston to rack up thousands of dollars in charges.

“This case shows how prevalent identity theft is in everyday
transactions,” Madigan said. “It should serve as a reminder to
regularly check your credit card bills and financial statements for
any unauthorized charges or debits, and report any suspicious activity
before any significant damage can be done.”

The Attorney General said the seven defendants, all of Chicago, pled
guilty and were sentenced in Cook County Criminal Court:

Joseph Woods, 33, pled guilty to Continuing a Financial Crimes
Enterprise, a Class 1 felony, and was sentenced to five years in
prison;
William Washington, 31, pled guilty to Continuing a Financial Crimes
Enterprise, a Class 1 felony, and was sentenced to six years in
prison;
Alex Houston, 23, pled guilty to Financial Institution Fraud, a Class
3 felony, and was sentenced to three years in prison;
Britain Woods, 34, pled guilty to Financial Institution Fraud, a Class
3 felony, and served two and a half months in jail;
Farrar, 35, pled guilty to Financial Institution Fraud, a Class 3
felony, and was sentenced to two years of felony probation; and
Essence Houston, 29, pled guilty to Financial Institution Fraud, a
Class 3 felony, and was sentenced to two years felony probation; and
Kenyetta Davis, 33, pled guilty to Identity Theft, a Class 2 felony,
and was sentenced to two years felony probation.

Madigan said financial institutions with accounts that were
compromised in the scheme include Chase, U.S. Bank, Citibank, Harris
Bank, American Express, Bank of America and Fifth Third Bank. The
banks assisted in the investigation and notified victims to secure
their personal information.

Madigan said identity theft is a significant threat to Illinois
consumers. Last year, more than 2,500 identity theft complaints were
filed with her office’s Consumer Fraud Bureau. Consumers reported
incidents of fraudulent charges on their existing accounts, thieves
opening new accounts in their names (including credit card, utility
and cell phone accounts) and instances of bank fraud, such as stolen
checks or fraudulent withdrawals made to a victim’s bank account.

Madigan urged consumers to contact her Identity Theft Hotline, (866)
999-5630 or TTY (877) 844-5461, for one-on-one assistance to report
suspected incidents of identity theft to local law enforcement and
financial institutions and for help repairing their credit and
protecting their personal information.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and referred to
Madigan’s office for prosecution. Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman
Vaidya and Robin Murphy handled the cases for Madigan’s Financial
Crimes Bureau.
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