New Orleans Man Sentenced for Using Stolen Identity at Local Stores

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COREY THOMAS, age 49, from New Orleans, was sentenced to home detention for committing wire fraud, stemming from fraudulent charges made in someone else’s name at local stores.

According to court documents, THOMAS used a victim’s personal identifying information to make fraudulent charges at Best Buy and several Lowe’s Home Improvement locations in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. THOMAS attempted the purchases on behalf of other actual customers, offering to charge the goods on a store credit card in exchange for a cash payment that was less than the purchase price. Under the terms of the plea agreement, THOMAS agreed to repay a total of $77,781.98 to Synchrony Bank, which issued the Lowe’s credit cards that THOMAS used in his scheme.

Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced THOMAS to five years of probation, beginning with an eight-month term of home detention, as well as restitution of $77,781.98, 100 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, is in charge of the prosecution.