Repeat Identity Thief Pleads Guilty To Mail Theft, Access Device Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft

A repeat offender with prior convictions for forgery and identity theft pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. BOBBIE DENISE CATTON, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of stolen mail, one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, CATTON faces a mandatory minimum two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft that will run consecutive to any other prison time imposed on the other charges.

According to records filed in the case, between March of 2013 and January of 2014 CATTON and her cohorts stole large volumes of mail throughout King County from homes and apartment complexes. They used stolen checks, credit and debit card information and identifying documents to commit various types of fraud. When arrested by a King County Sheriff’s Deputy following a traffic stop, CATTON had dozens of credit/debit cards and bank statements in others’ names in her possession, along with financial and identifying information for hundreds of others.

CATTON was previously prosecuted federally in 2002 for identity fraud and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. She has multiple state convictions for, among other things, forgery and possession of stolen property.

The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.