Latricia Newell, Credit Card Fraud, Missouri 2016

ST. LOUIS, MO – Latricia Newell, a California woman, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for her involvement in a credit card fraud scheme in the St. Louis area.

According to court documents, Newell used counterfeit credit cards to purchase gift cards at various locations in the St. Louis metropolitan area, including St. John, Brentwood, Clayton, and Hazelwood.

The investigation began on January 31, 2016, when a Chesterfield police officer received a call about a credit card being used to purchase gift cards. The officer discovered that the account number on the receipt did not match the embossed name on the card.

When the officer approached Newell’s vehicle, 20 cards fell out of her purse. A search of her car revealed 51 gift cards and 64 credit/debit cards embossed in Newell’s name, all of which were found to be counterfeit.

Further investigation by the United States Secret Service revealed that Newell had used the re-encoded credit cards to purchase gift cards and other merchandise in multiple locations in Missouri. The magnetic strips on the back of the cards were encoded with the account numbers of over 60 individuals.

Newell had also been involved in a similar scheme in Austin, Texas, where airport authorities discovered over 323 gift cards and 39 re-encoded cards during a routine screening of baggage bound for Los Angeles, California.

Newell pleaded guilty in June to one felony count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit credit cards, two felony counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of use of unauthorized access devices. She appeared for sentencing before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry on [current date].

The case was investigated by the Missouri police departments of Chesterfield, St. John, Brentwood, Clayton, and Hazelwood, as well as the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Newell, a resident of Harbor City, California, will serve 48 months in prison for her crimes.

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