Canton Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Large Retail Stores

BOSTON—A Canton woman was sentenced today in federal court for supervising a ring that defrauded large retail stores through identity fraud.

U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. sentenced Vanessa Jones, 49, to five years’ probation and about $27,000 in restitution. Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in December 2011.

Had the case proceeded to trial the government’s evidence would have proven that between July 2003 and October 2004, the conspiracy used lists of people’s names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers to obtain fake photo identity cards in Boston. The conspirators opened lines of credit at large retail stores to purchase gift cards and merchandise that would later be sold at a discount. Jones participated by obtaining identity information from others; providing identity information to co-conspirators; helping to obtain fake identity cards; taking co-conspirators to the retail stores; and dividing the proceeds with other conspirators. She was responsible for just over $27,500 in losses.

At the sentencing, Judge O’Toole found that Jones was a supervisor or manager within the ring and that prison would have been appropriate if she had not been the sole caregiver for her young grandchild.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Steven Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service in Boston; Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott L. Garland of Ortiz’s Cybercrimes Unit.