Press Release
U.S. POSTAL CARRIER AND SIX OTHERS INDICTED AND ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH CREDIT CARD FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT
March 21, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Henry Gutierrez, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, announced today the arrests of seven (7) defendants stemming from an indictment which was returned on March 18, 2008, by a federal grand jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The defendants, Dondre Green, Widley Francois, Michael Georges, Nigel Sookdeo, David Berry, Caddrick Spivey, and Monique Thomas, were all participants in a credit card fraud and identity theft scheme, and were charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Dondre Green was additionally indicted and charged with theft of mail by a postal employee.
If convicted on the conspiracy to commit access device fraud charges, the defendants all each face a maximum statutory term of five (5) years imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Additionally, Monique Thomas, Caddrick Spivey, and Michael Georges each face a maximum statutory term of ten (10) years imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the access device fraud counts. Caddrick Spivey and Monique Thomas are also each facing a mandatory two (2) year consecutive sentence for each count of aggravated identity theft, and Dondre Green faces an additional maximum statutory term of five (5) years imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the theft of mail by a postal employee count.
As alleged in the indictment, Dondre Green, a U.S. Mail Carrier, stole credit cards out of the mail entrusted to him as a postal carrier, from victims who lived on his delivery routes. Thereafter, these credit cards were delivered to co-conspirators who recruited “shoppers” to make purchases at local businesses utilizing the stolen credit cards. Often, these “shoppers” would make either large purchases of gift cards from the Target Department store, where they were assisted by other co-conspirators who were Target employees. These co-conspirators overrode Target’s internal security controls, or would purchase other goods and services utilizing counterfeit Florida Driver’s licenses in conjunction with the stolen credit cards. Ultimately, the scheme’s participants were responsible for fraud losses in excess of $150,000.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service and investigators with the Target department store. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Marc Anton.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Technical comments about this website can be e-mailed to the Webmaster. PLEASE NOTE: The United States Attorney's Office does not respond to non-technical inquiries made to this website. If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.