United States Attorney Leura G. Canary Middle District of Alabama

TWO WOMEN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR MAIL THEFT AND IDENTITY THEFT SCAM

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Ada Denise McKenzie, age 35, of Tallassee, Alabama, and Candice Monique Cobb, age 21, of Notasulga, Alabama, were sentenced to spend years in federal prison for engaging in a mail theft and identity theft scheme which victimized residents of Elmore, Lee, Chambers, Macon, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa Counties, U.S. Attorney Leura G. Canary announced today.

On April 24, 2008, United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson sentenced McKenzie and Cobb to federal prison. Judge Thompson sentenced McKenzie to a term of imprisonment of 87 months (7 years and 1 month) to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. As part of her sentence, McKenzie was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $33,127.76, and a $600 special assessment fee. McKenzie remains in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service pending assignment to an institution by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Due to Cobb’s limited role in the mail and identity theft scam, Judge Thompson sentenced Cobb to 24 months (2 years) imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release. As part of her sentence, Cobb was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,006.64, and a $100 special assessment fee. Cobb is scheduled to voluntarily surrender to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in June 2008.

McKenzie previously pled guilty to one count of mail theft, one count of bank fraud, one count of identity theft, one count of social security number fraud, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, from 2002 to September 2005, McKenzie stole mail from various residential mailboxes in Elmore, Lee, Chambers, Macon, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa Counties. After stealing the mail, which included credit cards, checks, social security information, drivers’ licenses, and other personal items, McKenzie purchased counterfeit identification cards to cash the stolen checks and purchase merchandise. McKenzie’s crime spree harmed approximately 118 victims and caused a monetary loss of over $30,000.

McKenzie’s co-defendant, Candice Monique Cobb, previously pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, Cobb admitted to using a counterfeit Alabama Nondriver Identification Card bearing the name of another person and a photo of Cobb. Cobb also admitted that, in September 2005, she used the counterfeit identification card in an attempt to cash a forged check at an Auburn bank branch located within the Kroger grocery store at 300 North Dean Road, Auburn, Alabama. Cobb further admitted that the check she attempted to cash had been stolen out of the mail.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Macon County Sheriff’s Department, Auburn Police Department, Opelika Police Department, and Montgomery Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerusha T. Adams and Todd A. Brown.