Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brittany King, 34, of East Bank, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. King admitted that she fraudulently obtained $176,118.73 through her employment with a business that cleaned local office space.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King unlawfully obtained the personal identification information of multiple individuals through the access provided by the cleaning service that employed her. King and a co-defendant then used that personal information to reroute victims’ mail to King’s address in Charleston. Once mail was rerouted, King and the co-defendant would open lines of credit and bank accounts and obtain loans and credit cards.

King admitted to using the unlawfully obtained personal identification information of one victim to submit a fraudulent online Change of Address form to the United States Postal Service as part of her scheme on June 6, 2022. King further admitted that she fraudulently used another victim’s personal identification information to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu from a Charleston business on September 30, 2022. King and the co-defendant caused a loss of at least $176,118.73 to more than ten victims as a result of their fraudulent schemes.

King is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. King also owes $176,118.73 in restitution.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General,  and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Jonathan T. Storage are prosecuting the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson provided substantial assistance.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-14. 

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