Two More Defendants from Georgia Plead Guilty in Credit Card Fraud Scheme

BOISE – Clarence Collins, 34, of Douglasville, Georgia, and Mikki Williams, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, each pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for their roles in a credit card fraud scheme that targeted local retailers in October of 2014, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  They were indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2014.

Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  According to the plea agreement, Collins traveled to Idaho, along with his co-defendants, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock debit cards.  Collins admitted to obtaining the stock debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and making purchases at retail stores on October 5, 2014.  In all, Collins admitted to traveling to five separate retail stores, and making eight total purchases, using five different credit card numbers that he was not authorized to use.  Upon his arrest, Collins was found in possession of seven debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers.  Sentencing is set for June 17, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment.  Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years, a term of supervised release of not more than one year, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100.  As part of his plea, Collins also agreed to forfeit $49,953.41 in cash proceeds of the charged offenses.

Williams pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony.  According to the plea agreement, Williams admitted knowing that her co-defendants were engaged in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud by using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto Vanilla debit cards.  Williams admitted receiving Visa debit cards that were the proceeds of the fraud scheme.  Upon her arrest, she was found in possession of eight pre-paid debit cards that were the proceeds of fraud.  Williams admitted that, despite her knowledge of the fraud scheme, she did not report the offense to the authorities, but rather provided false information about her knowledge of the offense and the source of the fraud proceeds, and concealed the proceeds of the fraud.

Misprision of a felony is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

Collins and Williams were indicted, along with Rakeen Anderson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia; Kyandre Banks, 34, of Lilburn, Georgia; Terrance Barimah, 26, of Floranceville, Georgia; Jean Estinville, 26, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; Rashine Kale, 38, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; Charles Moore, 25, of Stone Mountain, Georgia; Jonathan Penn, 20, of Suwanee, Georgia; and Brian Treadwell, 25, of Buford, Georgia, on charges relating to a wire fraud and identity theft scheme.  Banks, Estinville, Kale, Moore, Penn, and Treadwell were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Anderson was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.  Barimah was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal possession of device-making equipment.

Co-defendant Brian Treadwell is scheduled for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on June 16, 2015.  Co-defendant Jonathan Penn is scheduled for a change of plea hearing before Chief U.S. Magistrate Candy W. Dale on April 23, 2015.  Co-Defendant Rakeen Anderson is pending a change of plea hearing to be scheduled.  Co-Defendants Barimah, Estinville, Kale, and Moore are currently scheduled for a jury trial on April 27, 2015.  Co-defendant Kyandre Banks remains a fugitive.

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