AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

AUGUST 17, 2007

BALTIMORE WOMAN SENTENCED TO OVER TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR IDENTITY THEFT AND BANK FRAUD

Obtained More Than $168,000 In Cars and Merchandise Using Others’ Personal Information

BALTIMORE, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Nicole Jenise Stevenson, age 25, of Baltimore, today to 25 months in prison and seven months of home detention, followed by three years of supervised release for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Bennett also ordered Stevenson to pay restitution of $123,073.63.

According to the statement of facts presented at her guilty plea, Stevenson became employed at Harbor Hospital in June of 2005 where she had access to patients’ confidential information and social security numbers. Between September 12, 2005 and March 4, 2006, Stevenson used the name and social security number of a patient without her knowledge and consent, to fraudulently obtain lines of credit and compromise existing extensions of the patient’s credit for Stevenson’s own benefit. Stevenson obtained $61,106.15 in consumer goods using the name and credit of the patient without intending to pay for the goods.

In addition, between April 2, 2005 and March 17, 2006, Stevenson used the social security numbers of other individuals, false social security numbers, and false employment verifications to fraudulently obtain loans for seven vehicles. In each purchase Stevenson wrote checks on accounts that she knew held insufficient funds to cover the checks, causing the seven dealerships to suffer a total loss of $23,507.50. Stevenson also supplied false identifying information and false employment verifications to induce financial institutions and finance companies to loan her money to purchase the vehicles, intending to cause the financial institutions and finance companies suffer a loss of $107,649.64.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the United States Secret Service Financial Fraud Task Force and the Baltimore County Police Department for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tonya Kelly Kowitz, who prosecuted the case.