Member of “Traveling Group” of Fraudsters Sentenced

BOISE — Myron Pardon, 26, from Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to six month in prison for aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Pardon to serve six months in a half-way-house after his release from prison, followed by six months of home detention and three years of supervised release.  During his supervised release, Pardon can have only one credit card in his possession.  Pardon pleaded guilty to the charges on November 13, 2014.

Pardon, co-defendant Brandt Stewart and others were part of a “traveling group” from Detroit, Michigan, that traveled to southern Idaho in December, 2013, and February, 2014, to make purchases at large “box stores” using counterfeit credit cards.  Pardon knowingly and with intent to defraud used counterfeit credit cards to purchase “general use” charge cards at ten stores in Twin Falls, Boise and Meridian causing losses in the amount of $4,340.15.  Some of the credit cards fraudulently used by Pardon belonged to actual account holders, thus constituting aggravated identity theft.

Stewart has entered a plea of guilty to similar charges and will be sentenced on April 28, 2015.  A second co-defendant, Matthew Lane, will be transferred to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, in Detroit, where Lane will plead guilty.  No hearing date has been set in Detroit.

“Vigorous prosecution of those who travel here to carry out schemes to defraud Idaho citizens and businesses is a priority of this United States Attorney’s Office,” said Olson.  “My office will work effectively and aggressively with local police departments and federal law enforcement agencies to put a quick end to these schemes.”