Reno, Nevada Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft for Fraudulent Credit Card Use in Boise

BOISE – Rapphel Johnson, 28, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  U.S. District Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Johnson to pay a $5,000 fine, and serve one year of supervised release following the prison term. 

Johnson was indicted in September 2014, for access device fraud (credit card fraud) and aggravated identity theft.  According to the plea agreement, Johnson admitted that on September 1, 2014, he and a co-defendant knowingly used counterfeit credit cards containing the account numbers of real people to make a number of fraudulent purchases in Boise at stores including Rite Aid, Subway, T-Mobile, Finish Line, and Macy’s.  In particular, Johnson admitted using a counterfeit credit card, with another person’s account number, to purchase a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 at the Boise Towne Square Mall.  Additionally, Johnson admitted that when he was contacted by police at a motel room rented with a counterfeit credit card, he threw several counterfeit credit cards out the motel room window.

Johnson’s co-defendant, Elizabeth Carter, is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, 2015.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.