ATLANTA, Georgia – Elton Lee Flenaugh and Deje D. Silas, a California couple, have been sentenced to federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft crimes.
The investigation revealed that the scheme began at least by early 2012 and continued until Flenaugh and Silas’ arrests in February 2013. The scheme involved obtaining credit and debit card account information of hundreds of people, which were then used to manufacture fraudulent credit cards.
The defendants also obtained personal identifying information—including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and credit information—of dozens of people, which were used to create fraudulent driver’s licenses to use with the fraudulent credit cards.
The investigation showed that Flenaugh and Silas opened fraudulent credit card accounts in one of the stolen identities and made thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges. In at least three instances identified to date, the couple made thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges.
The United States Secret Service will continue to collaborate with its law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure those who commit these crimes are put behind bars, said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.
“Undoing the damage can be agonizing for individual victims. Financial institutions spend untold resources investigating, detecting, and deterring such schemes,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “These defendants callously ignored the consequences of their scheme, and will now serve justly deserved terms in federal prison.”
Elton Lee Flenaugh, a/k/a Josh Ford, a/k/a Ali Waheed, 34, of Richmond, California, was sentenced to federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft crimes. The charges include fraud in connection with identification documents and unauthorized access device fraud.
According to the indictment, Flenaugh and Silas were scheduled to fly from Atlanta to Los Angeles on February 9, 2013, when alert TSA security officers noticed a suspicious package in Flenaugh’s carry-on bag. The package contained nearly 100 fraudulent credit cards secreted inside a double-sealed manila envelope, which had been hidden inside an empty, foil-lined Lay’s potato chip bag.
Flenaugh and Silas were arrested on February 9, 2013, and were charged with fraud in connection with identification documents and unauthorized access device fraud. On [sentence date], Flenaugh was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft crimes. The sentence was handed down by a federal judge in the Northern District of Georgia.
The case is a reminder of the devastating impact of identity theft and credit card fraud on innocent victims and our communities. The United States Secret Service will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to ensure those who commit these crimes are brought to justice.
The charges and other information presented in court by United States Attorney Yates indicate that Flenaugh and Silas had a romantic relationship dating back several years. The couple used their relationship to commit the crimes, and their scheme involved obtaining credit and debit card account information of hundreds of people.
Related Federal Cases
- Cassandra Montrevel, Bank Fraud and Identity Theft, California 2011 · Florida
- Anthony Jermaine Robinson, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Florida 2022 · Florida
- Rodrick Florence Jr., Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft, Georgia 2023 · Florida
- Kristina Thomas, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, New York 2006 · Washington
- Brian E. Simmons, Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Florida 2012 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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