VERONICA HENDERSON, 30, of Oakland, California was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for her role in a credit card fraud scheme. HENDERSON pleaded guilty August 29, 2005 to Conspiracy to Use Unauthorized Credit Card Access Devices. At the time of her arrest, HENDERSON had absconded from the District of Pennsylvania where she had been sentenced to a term of 46 months for a similar fraud. Under the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez, HENDERSON will begin serving the 50 month sentence after she serves the 46 month sentence imposed in Pennsylvania.

According to court records, HENDERSON obtained the fraudulent credit cards and taught two co-conspirators how to use them. HENDERSON's co-conspirators would go into bank branches and attempt to make cash withdrawals using the fraudulent credit cards. HENDERSON's co-conspirators would call HENDERSON on her cell phone, and HENDERSON would act as a credit card company employee who essentially authorized the large cash advance. Using this scheme they obtained $10,000 in cash. The co-conspirators also used the fraudulent credit cards to make purchases at Kenneth Cole, Levi's, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Banana Republic.

In asking for a lengthy prison term, Assistant United States Attorney Karyn Johnson told the court "Veronica Henderson has committed precisely this same fraud repeatedly across the country.... (She) repeatedly chose to commit crimes despite her numerous contacts with the criminal justice system." Judge Martinez agreed and sentenced HENDERSON to 50 months, saying the sentence should be longer than the one she fled in Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyn Johnson. For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington, at (206) 553-4110.

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