Two Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Impersonating and Defrauding Comcast and Charter Customers

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Estifany Herrera Cedano, 45, of Yonkers, NY, and Johnny Israel Ramos Castillo, 31, of the Dominican Republic, were sentenced to prison by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for impersonating over 150 customers of Comcast and Charter as part of a fraudulent scheme to obtain iPhones and iPads through identity theft.

Herrera Cedano was sentenced to 81 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $347,666.07 to Comcast and $245,697.76 to Charter. Ramos Castillo was sentenced to 54 months' imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,327.19 to Comcast and $217,948.01 to Charter.

Between 2019 and 2020, Herrera Cedano and Ramos Castillo orchestrated a sophisticated operation, obtaining stolen identities and account information of Comcast and Charter customers from a source in the Dominican Republic. They entered Comcast Xfinity and Charter Spectrum retail stores across the country, presenting fabricated photo identifications bearing their photos but the customers' information. They used the customers' personal identifying information and accounts to sign up for mobile service in unsuspecting customers' names and obtain smartphones and related devices on credit. The customers would first learn about the fraudulent charges when they received their monthly bill long after the devices had left the stores and had been shipped overseas for resale.

Law enforcement identified over 560 mobile devices stolen through this multi-state scheme, amounting to actual losses of $593,363.83.  The fraudulent transactions involving Herrera Cedano and Ramos Castillo were identified through store surveillance video, along with financial, phone, and sales transaction records. Comcast and Charter eliminated the charges against the individual accounts, ensuring that the victims suffering the financial loss were strictly the corporations.

"Identity theft and other financial frauds are serious crimes that can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on victims," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "Our office and law enforcement partners are committed to stopping fraud scams and punishing those responsible and protecting the financial well-being of the American public."

"A priority investigative focus of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the identification and investigation of financial fraud," said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Sara C. Bay. “Together with our partner agencies and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, we continue to have great success in dismantling these criminal organizations and safeguarding the financial safety of the American public."

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Harrisburg/York. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.