Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft Charges

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A federal prison inmate pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of credit/debit card fraud and identity theft, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Jermain R. Stevenson, 26, an inmate at a federal correctional institution, pleaded guilty to the indictment before United States District Court Judge Kim R. Gibson.

In connection with the guilty plea, from Dec. 23, 2013, to March 30, 2014, Stevenson, along with co-defendants, used debit and credit card information to obtain more than $1,000, knowing that the debit cards and credit cards belong to other actual persons.

Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 5, 2017, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 12 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Stevenson.