PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Lawrence Fudge, 47, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for running a fraud and identity theft ring in Philadelphia for at least six years.
Fudge pleaded guilty in December 2012 to conspiracy, six counts of bank fraud, eight counts of access device fraud and 18 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Through the course of the scheme, Fudge recruited bank employees and an insurance company employee to abuse the trust placed in them by their employers and pass on to him the bank account and personal information of dozens of victims.
He insulated himself from the actual fraudulent transactions by recruiting others to find sources of victim information and by finding “check runners” to conduct the fraudulent transactions at the banks, to open the fraudulent retail store credit accounts and to make the purchases at the retail stores with those fraudulently-opened accounts.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence F. Stengel ordered restitution of $311,878, a special assessment of $3,300, and 10 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of multiple local police departments. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton.
Sentenced on December 2012, Fudge’s crimes had a significant impact on his victims. One victim described how the theft of the identity of her deceased husband left her “shaken to the core,” with the realization that her husband’s insurance policy, meant to protect his family, was the means of the theft of his identity and her security.
Related Federal Cases
- Nicole Hilstolsky, Theft, Pennsylvania 2018 · Pennsylvania
- Abel Fajardo-Guizar, Unlawful Use of Identification Documents and Aggravated Identity Theft, Iowa 2013 · Iowa
- Juan Bautista-Rubio, Aggravated Identity Theft, IA, 2014 · Iowa
- Marquis Williams Sentenced to Mail Theft, Hartford CT, 2023 · Puerto Rico
- Irina Segal, Medicare Billing for Unprovided Occupational Therapy, Pennsylvania 2023 · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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