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Press Release

Chicago woman sentenced to Federal prison for credit card fraud

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chicago woman was sentenced to five months in federal prison for credit card fraud, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Wynesha Wilson-Robinson, 27, previously pleaded guilty to possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices. A counterfeit access device is a credit card that has been altered so that it contains stolen information that has been re-encoded on the magnetic strip on the back of the card.

Wilson-Robinson admitted that she, along with three codefendants, Christine Johnson, Stephanie Stevenson, and Crystal Merritt, possessed over 100 counterfeit access devices. Wilson-Robinson and her codefendants drove from Chicago to West Virginia and attempted to use these counterfeit credit cards. On June 5, 2015, the women were observed at the South Charleston Target and Walmart attempting to use the counterfeit cards, and store employees alerted law enforcement to the suspicious behavior.

The South Charleston Police Department and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.

Two codefendants, Christine Johnson and Stephanie Stevenson, are scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2016. The other codefendant, Crystal Merritt, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2016.

Updated August 11, 2016

Topics
Financial Fraud
Identity Theft