Coretta Rena Bates, Aggravated Identity Theft, Florida 2025

TAMPA, FL – Coretta Rena Bates, a 32-year-old woman from College Park, Georgia, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Bates orchestrated a calculated scheme that drained over $167,000 from a Florida credit union, preying on unsuspecting victims and exploiting their personal information.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle didn’t just hand down a prison sentence; she also ordered Bates to fully reimburse the victimized credit union the entire $167,117.50 stolen through her fraudulent activities. Bates pleaded guilty to the charges on December 11, 2024, admitting to her role in the elaborate con.

Court documents reveal Bates wasn’t just passively collecting stolen data. She actively procured the personal identification information of multiple individuals, then went a step further, creating counterfeit North Carolina driver’s licenses. These weren’t simple forgeries – they featured Bates’s own photograph superimposed onto the stolen identifying details of her victims, allowing her to impersonate them with chilling effectiveness.

Between April and July of 2023, Bates systematically used these fabricated IDs to open lines of credit with the targeted credit union. She didn’t stop there. She repeatedly withdrew cash advances in the names of the individuals whose identities she’d stolen, systematically siphoning funds until the total exceeded $167,000. The scheme was bold, and the impact on the victims significant.

The U.S. Secret Service, along with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Brookhaven (Georgia) Police Department, painstakingly untangled the web of deceit. Their investigation exposed the full scope of Bates’s operation and gathered the evidence needed for a successful prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer led the charge in bringing Bates to justice.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of identity theft and the lengths criminals will go to exploit personal information for financial gain. The Secret Service continues to prioritize investigations into these types of financial crimes, working alongside local law enforcement to dismantle these schemes and hold perpetrators like Coretta Bates accountable for their actions. The 24-month sentence should send a clear message: identity theft is a serious federal offense with severe consequences.

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