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Leader in Credit Card Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Over 8 Years in Prison
Baltimore, MD – A 24-year-old man was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for his role in a massive credit card fraud scheme that netted hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen goods.
Christopher V. Johnson, formerly of New York, was sentenced to 102 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution of $155,515.33.
The scheme, which took place from at least the winter of 2012 through July 2014, involved Johnson and several co-conspirators creating counterfeit credit cards using stolen or compromised credit and debit card numbers. The cards were then used to obtain money and credit from banks and credit unions, which was used to buy luxury items such as designer shoes and clothes.
Johnson was arrested and convicted in Fairfax County, Virginia for credit card fraud in 2012. He was also stopped by a Maryland State Trooper for a traffic violation in Centreville, Maryland in April 2013, where several gift cards, credit cards, and ‘ReloadIt’ stored value cards were seized. The cards were altered and rewritten with compromised account information.
Johnson was released from custody in Talbot County on January 12, 2014, but was rearrested in Anne Arundel County on March 13, 2014, after a man reported a suspicious person at a motel in Linthicum, Maryland. The man was later identified as Johnson.
Johnson’s co-conspirators included Wanisha D. Coates, Lakriesha Coates, Domenique Miller, Sheardwood Michel, Shamika Earle, and others. The group used the stolen credit card numbers to make purchases at various stores, including Target, Staples, and drug stores.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Maryland State Police, the Fairfax County Police Department, the Easton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Defendant: Christopher V. Johnson, 24, formerly of New York
Criminal Charges: Bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft
City and State: Baltimore, MD
Date: January 2023 (sentencing)
Sentence: 102 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and restitution of $155,515.33
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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