ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Allise Jones, 29, of Lanham, Maryland, was convicted today by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, two counts of access device fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jones conspired with others to use personally identifiable information (PII) about current and former employees of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and others. From October 2012 to April 2014, Jones and her co-conspirators had access to PII from over 100 VA employees and more than 2,000 Freddie Mac employees and affiliates. Jones and her co-conspirators used that information to obtain fraudulent identification documents and credit accounts used to defraud financial institutions, retailers, and others. Jones used the information to obtain credit cards she used to purchase goods and services such as plastic surgery, expensive jewelry, and travel.
Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of access device fraud, 5 years in prison for both conspiracy to commit identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft when sentenced on May 19, 2017. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Laura S. Wertheimer, Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Castanien and Charlie Divine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fahey are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-282.