Gulfport, Miss. – Matthew Hawthorne, 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty in U.S. District Court today to identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Allen Bryant. Hawthorne admitted that in July, 2008, he and his codefendant, Bruce Daliet, drove from New Orleans, LA to Hattiesburg, MS and used stolen credit card account numbers to purchase gift cards and other items at local retailers in the Hattiesburg area, making purchases in excess of $10,000.

Hawthorne will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III on Feb. 13, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Morgan.

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