Reno Woman Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Credit Card Fraud

BOISE – In a gritty turn of events, Elizabeth Carter, 21, from Reno, Nevada, has entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court for Idaho. Carter stands accused of access device fraud, specifically using counterfeit credit cards to rack up fraudulent purchases.

The court documents reveal that Carter and her co-defendant, Rapphel Johnson, who has already pleaded guilty, were indicted in September 2014 on charges of credit card fraud and identity theft. Carter admitted to using the fake cards to make unauthorized buys at various Boise-area stores such as Rite Aid, Subway, T-Mobile, Finish Line, and Macy’s.

According to the plea agreement, it was on September 1, 2014, that Carter and Johnson executed their scheme. One of the fraudulent transactions involved a counterfeit card with another individual’s account number, purchased at T-Mobile within the Boise Towne Square Mall. When approached by police, Johnson is alleged to have discarded several counterfeit cards out of a motel room window, where they had rented the space using one of the fake cards.

Sentencing for Carter is scheduled for May 5, 2015, with Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill presiding over the proceedings. The co-defendant, Johnson, is set to be sentenced on March 16, 2015.

A conviction for access device fraud can carry severe penalties, including up to ten years in prison, a supervised release term not exceeding three years, a fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100. The case against Carter was the result of a joint investigation by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.

This grim tale of financial deceit underscores the ongoing challenge law enforcement faces in combating credit card fraud, a crime that continues to prey on unsuspecting consumers.